Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help. Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting. As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath. And no one is what --- or who --- they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.
Adam Gallagher has knocked on thousands of doors. An ex-Mormon and almost-famous memoirist, he is used to sharing his life story with strangers. But this day, this house, is different. For it belongs to none other than Roland Rogers: Hollywood Hunk and soon-to-be author. Roland has a story to tell, a decades-old secret to spill, and he’s decided that Adam is just the guy to help him do it. Except there’s a problem. Roland Rogers is dead. Not in the metaphysical realm --- if he focuses, he can summon enough energy to communicate via the kitchen speaker --- but certainly in the physical, and he needs Adam to pen his story before his body is found frozen beneath the avalanche of snow that squashed it. That means one month, a hundred thousand words, no breaks. It isn’t long before Roland’s idea of what his book should be clashes with Adam’s vision for what it could be.
When Franck gets out after five years in jail, he expects to find the brother he protected with his silence. Instead, waiting for him is his brother Fabien’s girlfriend. Jessica takes him to the gloomy country house where she lives with her cantankerous, hard-drinking parents, her eight-year old daughter, Rachel --- who doesn’t speak, hardly eats, and seems to be carrying a secret much bigger than herself --- and a large mastiff dog they all seem to fear. Time passes, Fabien doesn’t return, and Franck is increasingly mystified by Jessica’s behavior. Nonetheless, Franck follows her around on her crazy nocturnal rounds until he finds himself with a gun pointed at his head. It’s the beginning of a crescendo of retaliation in a gang war in which Franck believes he is participating, only to realize he’s merely a sacrificial pawn.
Peruvian American Rosie leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington --- an obnoxious, surly and gorgeous literary fiction writer. Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must cowrite a novel that blends their genres. The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings --- and explore their attraction toward each other. But when they find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite.
A few years ago, David Alvarez had it all: a six-figure book deal, a loving boyfriend and an exciting writing career. His debut novel was a resounding success, which made the publication of his second book --- a total flop --- all the more devastating. Now, David is single and desperately trying to come up with the next great idea for his third manuscript. When David connects with a sexy stranger on a dating app, he figures a wild night out in New York City may be just what he needs to find inspiration. Lucky for him, his date turns out to be handsome, confident and wealthy. After one of the best nights of his life, David wakes up hungover but giddy --- only to find prince charming dead next to him in bed. He and his literary agent, Stacey, must untangle the events of the previous night, cover their tracks and spin the entire misadventure into David’s career-defining novel.
Over the course of 100 luminous player profiles, the best sports newsroom on the planet paints vivid portraits of the game’s most compelling characters. They include George Mikan, Gary Payton, Dennis Rodman, Allen Iverson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Steph Curry. Edited by award-winning reporters David Aldridge and John Hollinger, THE BASKETBALL 100 also answers the game’s toughest, most important questions: How should we weigh championship rings, versus statistical profiles, versus the “eye test”? Were the great players of yesteryear, like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, propelled by the inferior athleticism of their competition, or would they have been transcendent in any era? And of course, who’s the GOAT --- MJ or LeBron?
WOO WOO follows Sabine, a conceptual artist on the verge of a photo exhibition she hopes will be pivotal, as she plunges deeper into her neuroses and seeks validation in relationships --- with her frustratingly rational chef husband, her horde of devoted Gen Z TikTok followers, and even a mysterious, potentially violent stalker. Accompanying her throughout are Sabine’s strange alter egos, from hyperrealistic puppets of her as a baby to the ghost of conceptual artist Carolee Schneemann, who shows up with inscrutable yet sage life advice.
Gabriel Dax is a young man haunted by the memories of a fire that took his mother’s life. Every night, when sleep finally comes, he dreams about his childhood home in flames. His days are spent on the move as an acclaimed travel writer, capturing the changing landscapes of Europe in the grip of the Cold War. When he is offered the chance to interview Patrice Lumumba, the newly elected president of the People’s Republic of the Congo, he finds himself drawn into a web of duplicities and betrayals. Falling under the spell of Faith Green, an enigmatic and ruthlessly efficient MI6 handler, he becomes “her spy,” unable to resist her demands. But amid the peril, paranoia and passion consuming Gabriel’s new covert life, there also will be revelations closer to home that may change his own story and the fates of those around him.
Far from the neon glare of the Vegas Strip, attorney Piper Danes walks away from a hotshot law firm to work as a guardian ad litem (GAL). Piper was once a vulnerable youth herself, and a GAL gave her hope when she needed it most. Now she’s committed to paying it forward. Her latest case is unlike any other: 15-year-old Sophie Grace is the sole survivor of a gruesome family murder. Teaming up with the formidable Judge Hope Dawson and enigmatic Detective Lazarus Holloway, Piper delves into a world more sinister than she could have imagined. Their hunt for the truth leads to a serial killer known only as “the Creeper,” a predator who hides in the shadows. But as the team inches closer to unveiling the murderer, they find themselves in the crosshairs.
The Elf on the Shelf is a phenomenon for families around the world. Every year, millions of Scout Elf helpers fly in from the North Pole to join in the Christmas cheer, with great excitement every day as parents watch their children discover their elves’ landing spots. Many families integrate their Scout Elf friends into food and kitchen traditions, with the holidays filled with laughter and fun as little and big hands tinker with ingredients, stirring, mixing and pouring their hearts into something wonderfully delicious. THE ELF ON THE SHELF FAMILY COOKBOOK is presented by an exceptional team of Mrs. Claus’ Sweet Shop Elves, who share their favorite holiday recipes, along with ingredient lists, tips, tools and favorite recipes you’ll love to incorporate into The Elf on the Shelf tradition.
We have listed 12 of Carol’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks that are now or soon to be in paperback. Which of these books have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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 January 23rd to February 6th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of IT'S NOT HER by Mary Kubica and VIGIL by George Saunders.
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Coming Soon
Curious about what books will be released in the months ahead so you can pre-order or reserve them? Then click on the months below.
January's Books on Screen roundup includes the films People We Meet on Vacation on Netflix and H Is for Hawk in theaters; the series premieres of "Harlan Coben's Run Away," "His & Hers" and "Agatha Christie’s Sevel Dials" on Netflix, along with "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" on HBO Max; the season premieres of ABC's "Will Trent," Hallmark Channel's "When Calls the Heart," Netflix's "Bridgerton," Prime Video's "The Night Manager" and Hulu's "Tell Me Lies"; the season finales of "Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale" on AMC+ and "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" on Disney+ and Hulu; and the DVD/Blu-ray releases of Wicked: For Good, One Battle After Another and Afterburn.