| Bookreporter.com

Week of September 25, 2023

Paperback releases for the week of September 25th include the two books in Cormac McCarthy's masterful The Passenger series --- THE PASSENGER, the story of a salvage diver, haunted by loss, afraid of the watery deep, pursued for a conspiracy beyond his understanding, and longing for a death he cannot reconcile with God, and STELLA MARIS, an intimate portrait of grief and longing, as a young woman in a psychiatric facility seeks to understand her own existence; LEARNING TO TALK, a dazzling collection of loosely autobiographical stories from Hilary Mantel that locates the transforming moments of a haunted childhood; DON’T FEAR THE REAPER, the riveting sequel to Stephen Graham Jones' MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW, in which Jade Daniels returns to the rural lake town of Proofrock the same day as convicted Indigenous serial killer Dark Mill South escapes into town to complete his revenge killings; and THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, a delightful novel from the queen of holiday stories, Debbie Macomber, about two lifelong friends who decide to trade places the week before Christmas and end up finding love along the way.

Week of September 18, 2023

Paperback releases for the week of September 18th include A TRUTH TO LIE FOR, an action-packed mystery by Anne Perry about a lethal new weapon that threatens to endanger all of Europe --- unless Elena Standish can rescue an ingenious scientist from Hitler’s clutches; THE LAST CAMPAIGN, in which H. W. Brands follows the lives of General William Tecumseh Sherman and Apache war leader Geronimo to tell the story of the Indian Wars and the final fight for control of the American continent; THE BEST FRIEND, a dark, suspenseful novel and first stand-alone from Jessica Fellowes that revolves around the intense, toxic friendship of two kindred spirits across their lifetimes; Namwali Serpell's THE FURROWS, a bold exploration of memory and mourning that twists unexpectedly into a story of mistaken identity, double consciousness, and the wishful --- and sometimes willful --- longing for reunion with those we’ve lost; and the paperback original CALL THE DARK by J. Todd Scott, a haunting thriller about a young plane crash survivor and a mysterious hiker who venture into the wilderness to escape a dark and vengeful force.

Week of September 11, 2023

Paperback releases for the week of September 11th include Elizabeth Strout's LUCY BY THE SEA, a poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown --- and the love, loss, despair and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart; THE WINNERS, the breathtaking conclusion to Fredrik Backman's Beartown trilogy, a story about first loves, second chances and last goodbyes; ELIZABETH TAYLOR by Kate Andersen Brower, the first-ever authorized biography of one of the most famous movie stars of the 20th century; ACT OF OBLIVION, a spellbinding novel from Robert Harris that brilliantly imagines one of the greatest manhunts in history --- the search for two Englishmen involved in the killing of King Charles I and the implacable foe on their trail; and ONE HUNDRED SATURDAYS, the remarkable story of 99-year-old Stella Levi, whose conversations with writer Michael Frank over the course of six years bring to life the vibrant world of Jewish Rhodes, the deportation to Auschwitz that extinguished 90 percent of her community, and the resilience and wisdom of the woman who lived to tell the tale.

Week of September 4, 2023

Paperback releases for the week of September 4th include MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves; Marie Benedict's THE MITFORD AFFAIR, an explosive novel of history's most notorious sisters, one of whom will have to choose: her country or her sisters?; THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT, Lynda Cohen Loigman's heartwarming story of two extraordinary women from two different eras who defy expectations to realize their unique talent of seeing soulmates in the most unexpected places; BURNING QUESTIONS, a brilliant selection of essays --- including three new pieces --- from Margaret Atwood, who offers her funny, erudite, endlessly curious and uncannily prescient take on everything from whether or not THE HANDMAID'S TALE is a dystopia to the importance of how to define granola; and THE QUEEN by Andrew Morton, the definitive, most comprehensive account of Queen Elizabeth II's legendary reign.

Patty Lin, author of End Credits: How I Broke Up with Hollywood

What if achieving your professional dreams comes at too high a personal cost? That’s what screenwriter Patty Lin started to ask herself after years in the cutthroat TV industry. One minute she was a tourist, begging her way into the audience of “Late Night with David Letterman.” Just a few years later, she was an insider who --- through relentless hard work and sacrifice --- had earned a seat in the writers’ rooms of the hottest TV shows of all time. While writing for “Friends,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Breaking Bad,” Patty steeled herself against the indignities of a chaotic, abusive, male-dominated work culture, not just as one of the few women in the room, but as the only Asian person.

Alice Feeney, author of Good Bad Girl

Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth. Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning messes and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything. Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door…and their intentions aren’t good. With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders and one victim. If they do, they just might find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her and the connections that bind them.

Emma Donoghue, author of Learned by Heart

Drawing on years of investigation and Anne Lister’s five-million-word secret journal, LEARNED BY HEART is the long-buried love story of Eliza Raine, an orphan heiress banished from India to England at age six, and Anne Lister, a brilliant, troublesome tomboy. Eliza and Anne meet at the Manor School for young ladies in York in 1805 when they are both 14.

Jennifer Weiner, author of The Breakaway

Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern is mostly at peace with her plus-size body and is on track to marry her childhood sweetheart, Mark. Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right…or the memories of one mind-blowing night spent with a man named Sebastian two years ago. So when Abby gets a last-minute call to lead a group bike trip, she’s happy to have time away from Mark and a chance to make up her mind. But on the first day, Abby is shocked to see Sebastian in the tour group. And then there’s a last-minute addition to the trip --- Abby’s mother, Eileen, whom Abby blames for a lifetime of insecurities she’s still trying to undo. Over the next two weeks, strangers become confidantes, hidden truths come to light, and a teenage girl with a secret will unite all the riders in surprising ways.

Douglas Preston, author of Dead Mountain: A Nora Kelly Novel

Astoundingly, Constance Greene has found a way back to the place of her origins, New York City in the late 1800s, leaping at the chance, although it means leaving the present forever. Constance sets off on a quest to prevent the events that lead to the deaths of her sister and brother. But along the road to redemption, Manhattan’s most infamous serial killer, Dr. Enoch Leng, lies in wait, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. Meanwhile, in contemporary New York, FBI Special Agent Pendergast feverishly searches for a way to reunite with Constance. But will he discover a way back to her before it’s too late?

Karin Slaughter, author of After That Night

Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her. Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s. And the past isn’t going to stay buried forever.

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