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Week of October 2, 2017

New in Paperback

Week of October 2, 2017

Paperback releases for the week of October 2nd include THE SLEEPWALKER by Chris Bohjalian, the mesmerizing story of a wife and mother who vanishes from her bed one night and the daughter determined to find her; A LOWCOUNTRY HEART, a new volume of Pat Conroy’s nonfiction that brings together some of the most charming interviews, magazine articles, speeches and letters from his long literary career, many of them addressed directly to his readers with his habitual greeting, “Hey, out there”; ABSOLUTELY ON MUSIC, a deeply personal, intimate conversation about music and writing between internationally acclaimed author Haruki Murakami and the former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa; and VICTORIA: THE QUEEN, Julia Baird's page-turning biography that reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen.

Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa written by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin - Music

October 2, 2017

Haruki Murakami's passion for music runs deep. Before turning his hand to writing, he ran a jazz club in Tokyo, and the aesthetic and emotional power of music permeates every one of his much-loved books. Now, in ABSOLUTELY ON MUSIC, Murakami fulfills a personal dream, sitting down with his friend, acclaimed conductor Seiji Ozawa, to talk, over a period of two years, about their shared interest. Transcribed from lengthy conversations about the nature of music and writing, here they discuss everything from Brahms to Beethoven, from Leonard Bernstein to Glenn Gould, from record collecting to pop-up orchestras, and much more.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood - Fiction

October 3, 2017

As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world.

Bolt Action Remedy by J.J. Hensley - Mystery/Thriller

October 2, 2017

Former Pittsburgh narcotics detective Trevor Galloway has been hired to look into the year-old homicide of a prominent businessman who was gunned down on his estate in Central Pennsylvania. When Galloway arrives, he determines that the murder could have been committed only by someone extremely skilled in two areas: skiing and shooting. He believes the assailant should not be too difficult to identify given the great amount of skill and athleticism needed to pull off the attack. When he discovers that the victim’s property is next door to a biathlon training camp, the situation becomes significantly more complicated.

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia - Psychological Thriller

October 3, 2017

High school senior Hattie Hoffman has spent her whole life playing many parts: the good student, the good daughter, the good citizen. When she’s found brutally stabbed to death on the opening night of her high school play, the tragedy rips through the fabric of her small-town community. Local sheriff Del Goodman vows to find her killer, but trying to solve her murder yields more questions than answers. It seems that Hattie’s acting talents ran far beyond the stage. Told from three points of view --- Del, Hattie, and the new English teacher whose marriage is crumbling --- EVERYTHING YOU WANT ME TO BE weaves the story of Hattie’s last school year and the events that drew her ever closer to her death.

The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War by H. W. Brands - History/Politics

October 3, 2017

At the height of the Korean War, President Harry S. Truman committed a gaffe that sent shock waves around the world. When asked by a reporter about the possible use of atomic weapons in response to China's entry into the war, Truman replied testily, "The military commander in the field will have charge of the use of the weapons, as he always has." This suggested that General Douglas MacArthur, the willful, fearless and highly decorated commander of the American and U.N. forces, had his finger on the nuclear trigger. A correction quickly followed, but the damage was done. Two visions for America's path forward were clearly in opposition, and one man would have to make way.

Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado - Fiction/Short Stories

October 3, 2017

In HER BODY AND OTHER PARTIES, Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. A wife refuses her husband’s entreaties to remove the green ribbon from around her neck. A woman recounts her sexual encounters as a plague slowly consumes humanity. A salesclerk in a mall makes a horrifying discovery within the seams of the store’s prom dresses. One woman’s surgery-induced weight loss results in an unwanted houseguest. And in “Especially Heinous,” Machado reimagines every episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” generating a phantasmagoric police procedural full of doppelgängers, ghosts and girls-with-bells-for-eyes.

The Last Day of Emily Lindsey by Nic Joseph - Psychological Thriller

October 3, 2017

Detective Steven Paul has had the same nightmare for as long as he can remember, a strange symbol figuring prominently into his terror. He decided long ago that the recurring dreams are nothing more than an unfortunate side effect of his often traumatic profession. Until, that is, he's assigned to the case of Emily Lindsey, the beautiful, elusive and controversial blogger found alone, who can't possibly know the symbol from his nightmares...unless she does.

Lights Out Summer: A Coleridge Taylor Mystery by Rich Zahradnik - Historical Mystery/Thriller

October 1, 2017

In March 1977, ballistics link murders going back six months to the same Charter Arms Bulldog .44. A serial killer, Son of Sam, is on the loose. Constantly on the lookout for victims who need their stories told, Coleridge Taylor uncovers other killings being ignored because of the media circus. He goes after one, the story of a young black woman gunned down in her apartment building the same night Son of Sam struck elsewhere in Queens. Just as he's closing in on the killer and his scoop, the July 13-14 blackout sends New York into a 24-hour orgy of looting and destruction. In the midst of the chaos, a suspect in Taylor's story goes missing. Desperate, he races to a confrontation that will break the story --- or Taylor.

Lost Luggage by Wendall Thomas - Mystery/Humor

October 3, 2017

Days after the pet store owner next door to Redondo Travel is poisoned, travel agent Cyd Redondo wins a free safari. She and her recent fling, Roger Claymore, arrive in Africa --- luggage lost --- to find two of Cyd's elderly clients in a local jail. She manages to barter them out, only to discover smugglers have hidden $500,000 worth of endangered parrots, snakes, frogs and a lone Madagascan chameleon in the clients' outbound luggage. When Roger steals the bags --- is the U.S. Embassy in on the contraband ring? --- Cyd and the chameleon helicopter into the jungle to go after Roger on their own.

A Lowcountry Heart: Reflections on a Writing Life by Pat Conroy - Essays

October 3, 2017

This new volume of Pat Conroy’s nonfiction brings together some of the most charming interviews, magazine articles, speeches and letters from his long literary career, many of them addressed directly to his readers with his habitual greeting, “Hey, out there.” Ranging across diverse subjects, such as favorite recent reads, the challenge of staying motivated to exercise, and processing the loss of dear friends, Conroy’s eminently memorable pieces offer a unique window into the life of a true titan of Southern writing.

Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin - History

October 3, 2017

From the authors of the New York Times bestselling THE HEART OF EVERYTHING THAT IS and HALSEY'S TYPHOON comes the dramatic, untold story of a daredevil bomber pilot and his misfit crew who fly their lone B-17 into the teeth of the Japanese Empire in 1943, engage in the longest dogfight in history, and change the momentum of the War in the Pacific --- but not without making the ultimate sacrifice.

The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue - Dark Fantasy/Horror

October 3, 2017

In the Old City of Québec, Kay Harper falls in love with a puppet in the window of the Quatre Mains, a toy shop that is never open. Late one night, she fears someone is following her home. Surprised to see that the lights of the toy shop are on and the door is open, she takes shelter inside. The next morning, her husband Theo wakes up to discover his wife is missing. Kay has been transformed into a puppet, and is now a prisoner of the back room of the Quatre Mains, trapped with an odd assemblage of puppets from all over the world who can only come alive between the hours of midnight and dawn. The only way she can return to the human world is if Theo can find her and recognize her in her new form.

No Easy Target by Iris Johansen - Thriller

October 3, 2017

Raised off the grid in an abusive home, Margaret Douglas’ only escape was the nearby forest where she sought refuge. There, she discovered a strange gift: the ability to understand animals and to communicate with them. But her abilities have not gone unnoticed, and there are those who would use them for their own purposes. Determined not to be a pawn in anyone’s game, every time someone gets too close, Margaret uproots her life and outruns them. When CIA operative John Lassiter breaks into Margaret’s apartment, she vanishes again, but Lassiter has good reason to be persistent. As a CIA operative, he owes his life to his men, one of whom is being held captive by an unrelenting enemy --- an enemy who has set his sights on Margaret.

Odd Child Out by Gilly Macmillan - Psychological Thriller/Mystery

October 3, 2017

Best friends Noah Sadler and Abdi Mahad have always been inseparable. But when Noah is found floating unconscious in Bristol's Feeder Canal, Abdi won’t tell anyone what happened. Just back from a mandatory leave following his last case, Detective Jim Clemo is now assigned to look into this unfortunate accident. But tragedy strikes, and what looked like the simple case of a prank gone wrong soon ignites into a public battle. Noah is British. Abdi is a Somali refugee. And social tensions have been rising rapidly in Bristol. Against this background of fear and fury, two families fight for their sons and for the truth.

Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch - Historical Fiction

October 3, 2017

Pronounced by the most eminent physician of the day to be "a true hybrid wherein the nature of woman presides over that of the brute," Julia Pastrana stood apart from the other carnival acts. Beneath the flashy lights and thunderous applause lies a bright, compassionate young woman who only wants people to see beyond her hairy visage. Julia eventually meets Theodore Lent, a boyishly charming showman who catapults her onto the global stage. As they travel the world, the two fall into an easy intimacy, but the question of whether Theo truly cares for Julia or if his management is just a gentler form of exploitation lingers heavily with every kind word and soft embrace.

Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes - Romance/Short Stories

October 3, 2017

Nell is 26 and has never been to Paris. She's never even been on a romantic weekend away --- to anywhere --- before. Traveling abroad isn't really her thing. But when Nell's boyfriend fails to show up for their mini-vacation, she has the opportunity to prove everyone --- including herself --- wrong. Alone in Paris, Nell finds a version of herself she never knew existed: independent and intrepid. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life? "Paris for One" is quintessential Jojo Moyes --- as are the other stories that round out the collection.

Reckless Creed: A Ryder Creed Novel by Alex Kava - Thriller

October 3, 2017

In Chicago, a young man jumps from his 30th-story hotel room; along the Missouri River, a hunter and his son stumble upon a lake whose surface is littered with snow geese, all of them dead; and in southern Alabama, Ryder Creed and his search-and-rescue dog, Grace, find the body of a young woman who went missing in the Conecuh National Forest...and it appears she filled her pockets with rocks and walked into the river. Before long, Ryder and FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell will discover the ominous connection among these mysterious deaths. What they find may be the most prolific killer the United States has ever known.

Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner - Thriller

October 3, 2017

Eight years ago, Sharlah May Nash’s older brother beat their drunken father to death with a baseball bat in order to save both of their lives. Now 13 years old, Sharlah has finally moved on. About to be adopted by retired FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his partner, Rainie Conner, Sharlah loves one thing best about her new family: They are all experts on monsters. Then the call comes in. A double murder at a local gas station, followed by reports of an armed suspect shooting his way through the wilds of Oregon. As Quincy and Rainie race to assist, they are forced to confront mounting evidence: The shooter may very well be Sharlah’s older brother, and it appears his killing spree has only just begun.

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian - Psychological Thriller/Mystery

October 3, 2017

Annalee Ahlberg sleepwalks at night, and her affliction manifests in ways both devastating and bizarre. A search party combs the woods, but there is little trace of Annalee and her family fears the worst. Her daughter Lianna leaves college to care for her father and younger sister. She finds herself uncontrollably drawn to Gavin Rikert, the hazel-eyed detective investigating the case, and the two become involved. But Gavin seems to know more about Lianna's mother than he should. As Lianna sifts through the life Annalee has left behind, she wonders if the man sleeping next to her could hold the key to her mother's mysterious disappearance.

Strong Cold Dead: A Caitlin Strong Novel by Jon Land - Thriller

October 3, 2017

The terrorist organization ISIS is after a deadly toxin that could be the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. The same toxin holds the potential to eradicate cancer. There is a frantic race to see who can get to it first, even as Caitlin Strong begins to assemble the disparate pieces of a deadly puzzle. At the center of that puzzle is an Indian reservation where a vengeful tycoon is mining the toxin, disguising his effort as an oil-drilling operation. This is the same reservation where Caitlin’s great-great-grandfather, also a Texas Ranger, once waged a similar battle against the forces of John D. Rockefeller.

The Terranauts by T.C. Boyle - Fiction

October 3, 2017

It is 1994, and in the desert near Tillman, Arizona, a grand experiment involving the future of humanity is underway. As climate change threatens the earth, eight scientists dubbed the "Terranauts" have been selected to live under glass in E2, a prototype of a possible off-earth colony. Closely monitored by an all-seeing Mission Control, this New Eden is the brainchild of ecovisionary Jeremiah Reed, for whom the project is both an adventure in scientific discovery and a momentous publicity stunt. His young, strapping Terranauts must impress watchful visitors and a skeptical media curious to see if E2’s environment will somehow be compromised, forcing the Ecosphere’s seal to be broken --- and ending the mission in failure.

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley - Historical Mystery

October 3, 2017

Only too eager to run an errand for the vicar’s wife, 12-year-old Flavia de Luce hops on her trusty bicycle, Gladys, to deliver a message to a reclusive wood-carver. Finding the front door ajar, Flavia enters and stumbles upon the poor man’s body hanging upside down on the back of his bedroom door. The only living creature in the house is a feline that shows little interest in the disturbing scene. Curiosity may not kill this cat, but Flavia is energized at the prospect of a new investigation. However, what awaits Flavia will shake her to the very core.

Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird - Biography

October 3, 2017

Drawing on sources that include revelations about Queen Victoria’s relationship with her servant, John Brown, Julia Baird brings vividly to life the fascinating 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 the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen --- a Victoria for our times, a Victoria who endured.

Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand - Fiction

October 3, 2017

For the Quinn family, things finally seem to be coming together. However, there are still a few dark clouds on the horizon in Kelley’s recent health scare, Jennifer’s addiction to drugs, and Ava’s inability to choose between two lovers. But if there’s one holiday that brings the family together, it’s Christmas. This year promises celebration in Kevin and Isabelle’s wedding at the inn, but a historic once-in-a-century blizzard bears down on Nantucket as the special day approaches, threatening to keep the Quinns away from the place and people they love the most.

You Will Not Have My Hate by Antoine Leiris - Memoir

October 3, 2017

On November 13, 2015, Antoine Leiris’ wife, Hélène Muyal-Leiris, was killed by terrorists while attending a rock concert at the Bataclan Theater in Paris, in the deadliest attack on France since World War II. Three days later, Leiris wrote an open letter addressed directly to his wife’s killers, which he posted on Facebook: “For as long as he lives, this little boy will insult you with his happiness and freedom.” In his determination to honor the memory of his wife, Leiris became an international hero to everyone searching desperately for a way to deal with the horror of the Paris attacks and the grim shadow cast today by the threat of terrorism. Now he tells the full story of his grief and struggle.