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February 18, 2014

February 18, 2014

The following are lists of books releasing the weeks of February 17th and February 24th that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers.

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On Sale the Week of February 17th in Hardcover

February 18th

THE ADVENTURES OF HENRY THOREAU: A Young Man's Unlikely Path to Walden Pond by Michael Sims (Biography)
THE ADVENTURES OF HENRY THOREAU --- chronicling the 10 years in his life beginning with Harvard in 1837 and ending as he walked away from Walden Pond after living in his long dreamed-of cabin for only two years --- tells the dramatic (and at times heartbreaking) story of how a troubled young man found a meaningful life in a tempestuous era.
Bloomsbury USA * 9781620401958

A BURNABLE BOOK by Bruce Holsinger (Historical Thriller)
London, 1385. A book of poems prophesying the death of English kings, including the newly crowned King Richard II, is all anyone can talk about. John Gower --- a poet himself, but more importantly, a man with connections --- must find the book to save his friend, the poet Geoffrey Chaucer. What he doesn’t know or understand are his personal connections to the book that could also get him killed.
William Morrow * 9780062240323

CONCEALED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb (Mystery)
In a decrepit, long-empty New York building, Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s husband begins the demolition process by swinging a sledgehammer into a wall. When the dust clears, there are two skeletons wrapped in plastic behind it. He summons his wife immediately --- and by the time she’s done with the crime scene, there are 12 murders to be solved.
Putnam Adult * 9780399164439

THE INNOCENT SLEEP by Karen Perry (Thriller)
Five years after the presumed death of their son, Dillon, Harry and Robin have settled into a new kind of life. Their grief will always be with them, but lately it feels as if they're ready for a fresh start. However, when Harry gets a glimpse of Dillon on the crowded streets of Dublin, the past comes rushing back at both of them. Has Dillon been alive all these years? Or was what Harry saw just a figment of his guilt-ridden imagination?
Henry Holt and Co. * 9780805098723

MOVING TARGET by J. A. Jance (Thriller)
Lance Tucker, an incarcerated juvenile offender doing time for expertly hacking into the San Leandro School District’s computer system, has been set on fire and severely burned. B. Simpson, Ali Reynolds’s fiancé and the man who helped put Lance in jail, feels obligated to get to the bottom of what really happened. Meanwhile, in England, Ali investigates the decades-old murder of Leland Brooks’s father, which Leland himself was once suspected of committing.
Touchstone * 9781476745008

THE MUSEUM OF EXTRAORDINARY THINGS by Alice Hoffman (Historical Romance/Mystery)
Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the sinister impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a Coney Island boardwalk freak show that thrills the masses. One night, Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man taking pictures of moonlit trees. When Eddie Cohen photographs the devastation on the streets of New York following the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the suspicious mystery behind a young woman’s disappearance and ignites the heart of Coralie.
Scribner * 9781451693560

MY NAME IS RESOLUTE by Nancy E. Turner (Historical Fiction)
The year is 1729, and Resolute Talbot and her siblings are captured by pirates, taken from their family in Jamaica, and brought to the New World. Resolute and her sister are sold into slavery in New England and taught the trade of spinning and weaving. She struggles to find her way in a society that is quick to judge a young woman without a family. As the seeds of rebellion against England grow, Resolute is torn between following the rules and breaking free.
Thomas Dunne Books * 9781250036599

RUNNER by Patrick Lee (Thriller)
Sam Dryden, retired special forces, encounters a young girl who is running from a group of heavily armed men intent on killing her. He learns that the 11-year-old has been kept in a secret prison by forces within the government. She only remembers the past two months of her life and that she has a skill that makes her very dangerous to these men. Dryden agrees to help her try to unravel her own past and make sense of it, to protect her from the people who are moving heaven and earth to find them both.
Minotaur Books * 9781250030733


February 20th

ELIOT NESS: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero by Douglas Perry (Biography)
ELIOT NESS follows the lawman through his days in Chicago and into his forgotten second act. As the public safety director of Cleveland, he achieved his greatest success: purging the city of corruption so deep that the mob and the police were often one and the same. And it was here, too, that he faced one of his greatest challenges: a serial killer known as the Torso Murderer who terrorized the city for years.
Viking Adult * 9780670025886

INFLUX by Daniel Suarez (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Particle physicist Jon Grady is ecstatic when his team achieves what they've been working toward for years: a device that can reflect gravity. Their research will revolutionize the field of physics, and Grady expects widespread acclaim for his entire team. Instead, his lab is locked down by a shadowy organization whose mission is to prevent at all costs the social upheaval that sudden technological advances bring.
Dutton Adult * 9780525953180

WHILE BEAUTY SLEPT by Elizabeth Blackwell (Historical Fantasy)
I am not the sort of person about whom stories are told. And so begins Elise Dalriss’s story. When she hears her great-granddaughter recount a minstrel’s tale about a beautiful princess asleep in a tower, it pushes open a door to the past, a door Elise has long kept locked. For Elise was the companion to the real princess who slumbered --- and she is the only one left who knows what actually happened so many years ago.
Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam * 9780399166235
On Sale the Week of February 17th in Paperback


February 18th

AND LIFE COMES BACK: A Wife’s Story of Love, Loss, and Hope Reclaimed by Tricia Lott Williford (Memoir)
Paperback Original
When your life falls apart --- through a death, a lost relationship, a diagnosis --- you want more than anything to know that your pain has a purpose. And that beyond your pain, a new day awaits. Tricia Lott Williford discovered this in a few tragic hours when her 35-year-old husband died unexpectedly. In AND LIFE COMES BACK, she writes about her tender, brave journey as a widow with two young boys in the agonizing days and months that followed his death.
WaterBrook Press * 9780307731982

AT PEACE IN THE STORM: Experiencing the Savior's Presence When You Need Him Most by Ken Gire (Christian Life/Spiritual Growth)
Paperback Original
Bestselling author Ken Gire weaves together stories from the Bible, history and his own life to reveal how we can find strength and encouragement through the storms of life. Experience the joy of knowing the God who is always there to reach out a hand and pull you out of the waves.
Bethany House Publishers * 9780764208843

BOUNCE BACK: When Your Heart Is Empty and Your Dreams Are Lost by Julie Clinton (Christian Living)
Paperback Original
Julie Clinton knows from her own life and from the stories of thousands of women she has talked with across the country that what many of us want most is hope. We want to know: Is there really a way forward when I can't see past the pain right now? In BOUNCE BACK, Julie offers three steps to a more hope-filled life: breath, believe and bounce back.
Worthy Publishing * 9781617951077

THE DREAM DRESS: Weddings by Design, Book 3 by Janice Thompson (Romance)
Paperback Original
A lowly seamstress at a swanky bridal boutique, Gabi Delgado dreams of doing more than ripping out seams and fitting dresses to doe-eyed brides. She wants to see her own original dress designs gracing the young women of Texas. But when Jordan Singer, reporter for Texas Bride magazine, visits the shop to do a feature, Gabi is humbled in his influential --- and unnervingly handsome --- presence.
Revell * 9780800721541

THE ENGLISH GIRL by Daniel Silva (Thriller)
When a beautiful young British woman vanishes on the island of Corsica, a prime minister's career is threatened with destruction. Gabriel Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, is thrust into a game of shadows where nothing is what it seems...and where the only thing more dangerous than his enemies might be the truth.
Harper * 9780062073181

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS by Christine Sneed (Fiction)
The people who orbit around actor Renn Ivins --- his girlfriends, children, ex-wives, those on the periphery --- long to experience the glow of his fame. Anna and Will are Renn's grown children, struggling to be authentic versions of themselves in a world where they are seen as less important extensions of their father. They are both drawn to and repelled by the man who overshadows every part of them.
Bloomsbury USA * 9781608199679

LONG SHOT by Mike Piazza with Lonnie Wheeler (Autobiography)
Mike Piazza’s autobiography is the candid story of the greatest hitting catcher in the history of baseball, from his inauspicious draft selection to his Hall of Fame-worthy achievements and the unusual controversies that marked his career. He addresses the steroid controversy that hovered around him and Major League Baseball during his time and describes the thrill of his game-winning home run on September 21, 2001.
Simon & Schuster * 9781439150238

THE MISSING FILE written by D. A. Mishani, translated from the Hebrew by Steven Cohen (Mystery)
According to Police Inspector Avraham, “Regular kids don’t just disappear. They may decide to cut school, to get away from home for a few hours, or be too ashamed to come home because they’ve done something unforgivable. But they don’t simply disappear.” But when a 16-year-old boy inexplicably vanishes from suburban Tel Aviv, the guilt-ridden detective assumes an active role in the inquiry.
Bourbon Street Books * 9780062195388

NINJA: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior: A New History by John Man (History)
Spies, assassins, saboteurs and secret agents, Ninja have become the subject of countless legends that continue to enthrall us in modern movies, video games and comics --- and their arts are still practiced in our time by dedicated acolytes who study the ancient techniques. NINJA: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior, by British historian John Man, is as colorful and intriguing as the warriors it so vividly brings to life.
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062202659

RUNAWAY SAINT by Lisa Samson (Fiction)
Paperback Original
Twenty years ago, fresh out of college, Bel left for a summer missions trip and never returned. Now she’s on her niece's doorstep, looking for a place to crash. Saying yes to Aunt Bel turns Sara’s whole precariously balanced life upside down. The enigmatic Bel gives Sara’s family and their community a jolt of fresh thinking and clarity. But Bel is hiding something. Though she won’t talk about it, Sara soon learns that Bel has been through a hellish ordeal. And she has the burn marks to prove it.
Thomas Nelson * 9781595545466

SAMURAI: A History by John Man (History)
Paperback Original
The inspiration for the Jedi knights of Star Wars and the films of Akira Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese samurai have captured modern imaginations. Yet with these elite warriors who were bound by a code of honor called Bushido --- the Way of the Warrior --- the reality behind the myth proves more fascinating than any fiction. In SAMURAI, John Man provides a unique and captivating look at their true history, told through the life of one man: Saigo Takamori, known to many as "the last samurai."
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062202673


SLINGSHOT: A Spycatcher Novel by Matthew Dunn (Thriller/Adventure)
Will Cochrane is ordered to recover a mysterious document stolen by a Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SRV) traitor working for a former high-ranking East German Stasi officer. Years before, the officer had instigated a secret pact between Russian and U.S. generals. The agreement stipulated that should it be broken, an assassin would immediately be set loose after an unknown target. The SRV has sent their own version of Cochrane to retrieve the document, pitting spycatcher against spycatcher.
Harper * 9780062038050

A STILLNESS OF CHIMES by Meg Moseley (Fiction)
Paperback Original
When teacher Laura Gantt comes home to settle her recently deceased mother’s household, she encounters a swirl of rumors about the father she lost to the lake 12 years ago --- that he has reportedly been seen around town. Lifelong friend and former beau Sean Halloran wants nothing more than to protect Laura from the far-fetched stories of Elliott’s resurrection, but he has his own reasons --- troubling echoes from his childhood --- to put Elliott’s disappearance to rest.
Multnomah Books * 9780307730787

On Sale the Week of February 24th in Hardcover

February 25th

THE ARTISAN SOUL: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art by Erwin Raphael McManus (Christian Life/Personal Growth)
In THE ARTISAN SOUL, Erwin Raphael McManus --- author, thought leader, and founder of MOSAIC in Los Angeles --- pens a manifesto for human creativity and the beginning of a new renaissance. McManus not only calls us to reclaim our creative essence, but reveals how we can craft our lives into a work of art. There are no shortcuts to quality, and McManus celebrates the spiritual process that can help us discover our true selves.
HarperOne * 9780062270276

BITTER EDEN by Tatamkhulu Afrika (Historical Fiction)
BITTER EDEN is based on Tatamkhulu Afrika’s own capture in North Africa and his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II in Italy and Germany. The novel deals with three men who must negotiate the emotions that are brought to the surface by the physical closeness of survival in the male-only camps. The complex rituals of camp life and the strange loyalties and deep bonds among the men are heartbreakingly depicted.
Picador * 9781250043665

BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER: A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes! by Joanne Fluke (Mystery)
Hannah Swensen accidentally hits a stranger with her cookie truck while driving down a winding country road in a raging thunderstorm. She is wracked with guilt, and things get even worse when she's arrested…for murder! But an autopsy soon reveals the mystery man, his shirt covered in stains from blackberry pie, would have died even if Hannah hadn't hit him. Now, to clear her name, Hannah will have to follow a trail of pie crumbs to track down the identity of the deceased.
Kensington * 9780758280374

BLOOD ROYAL: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris by Eric Jager (History/True Crime)
In 1407, Louis of Orleans was murdered by a band of masked men. The crime stunned and paralyzed France since Louis had often ruled in place of his brother King Charles, who had gone mad. In charge of the investigation was the Provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville, the city's chief law enforcement officer --- and one of history's first detectives. As de Tignonville began to investigate, he realized that his hunt for the truth was much more dangerous than he ever could have imagined.
Little, Brown and Company * 9780316224512

THE CHASE by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg (Thriller/Adventure)
FBI Agent Kate O'Hare has lived to put the slippery conman known as Nicolas Fox behind bars. Nick is a fed's worst nightmare: exceptionally talented in his line of work, known the world over for being able to pull off some of the most dangerous, high-profile cons. In a cruel twist of fate, Kate's bosses at the FBI force her to covertly partner up with Nick to take down big league crime.
Bantam * 9780345543080

DEAR ABIGAIL: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail Adams and Her Two Remarkable Sisters by Diane Jacobs (Biography)
Much has been written about the enduring marriage of President John Adams and his wife, Abigail. But few know of the equally strong bond Abigail shared with her sisters, Mary Cranch and Elizabeth Shaw Peabody, accomplished women in their own right. Now acclaimed biographer Diane Jacobs reveals their moving story, which unfolds against the stunning backdrop of America in its transformative colonial years.
Ballantine Books * 9780345465061

DEATH OF A POLICEMAN: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by M. C. Beaton (Mystery)
Local police stations all over the Scottish Highlands are being threatened with closure. This presents the perfect opportunity for Detective Chief Inspector Blair, who would love nothing more than to get rid of Sergeant Hamish Macbeth. Blair suggests that Cyril Sessions, a keen young police officer, visit the town of Lochdubh to monitor exactly what Macbeth does every day. Macbeth hears about Blair's plan and is prepared to ensure that Cyril returns back to headquarters with a full report. But Cyril is soon found dead, and Hamish quickly becomes the prime suspect in his murder.
Grand Central Publishing * 9781455504732

FAITH IN THE FOG: Believing in What You Cannot See by Jeff Lucas (Christian Life)
In FAITH IN THE FOG, bestselling author and speaker Jeff Lucas uses the story of John 21 (Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish) to help believers make sense of faith when life is tough and we’re stuck in an emotional storm. This book searches for answers, without resorting to slogans or clichés --- and seeks to liberate with its honesty and vulnerability.
Zondervan * 9780310281542

THE HEADMASTER'S WIFE by Thomas Christopher Greene (Mystery/Suspense)
Like his father before him, Arthur Winthrop is the Headmaster of Vermont’s elite Lancaster School. Found wandering naked in Central Park, he begins to tell his story to the police. But his memories collide into one another, and the true nature of things --- a narrative of love, of marriage, of family, and of a tragedy Arthur does not know how to address --- emerges.
Thomas Dunne Books * 9781250038944

THE RED ROAD: An Alex Morrow Novel by Denise Mina (Mystery/Thriller)
Police detective Alex Morrow is serving as a witness in arms dealer Michael Brown's trial, where the case hinges on his fingerprints found on the guns he sells. When the investigation leads to a privileged Scottish lawyer who's expecting to be assassinated after a money laundering scheme goes bad, and a woman who's spying on the people who put her in jail, Morrow has her hands full. And that's before she even gets to her family issues.
Little, Brown and Company * 9780316188517

THE STOLEN ONES by Richard Montanari (Thriller)
Luther Wade grew up in Cold River, a warehouse for the criminally insane. Two decades ago the hospital closed it doors forever, but Luther never left. He wanders the catacombs beneath the city, channeling the violent dreams of Eduard Kross, Europe's most prolific serial killer of the 20th century. A two-year-old girl found wandering the streets of Philadelphia by detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano may hold the key to solving a string of murders committed in and around Priory Park.
Mulholland Books * 9780316244701

A STORY OF EASTER AND ALL OF US: Companion to the Hit TV Miniseries by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett (Fiction/Classic & Allegory)
From the Last Supper in the upper room to the celebration of finding an empty tomb, this beautiful full-color book chronicles the journey of Christ's death and resurrection in a way the Easter story has never before been "told." Containing extraordinary images from the Emmy-nominated TV series "The Bible," A STORY OF EASTER AND ALL OF US is a book that will take a deserved place among the finest celebrations of Easter.
FaithWords * 9781455545872

TEACHING THE CAT TO SIT: A Memoir by Michelle Theall (Memoir)
Michelle Theall grew up in the conservative Texas Bible Belt, bullied by her classmates and abandoned by her evangelical best friend before she’d ever even held a girl’s hand. Years later, Michelle is living her life openly with her partner of 10 years. But when her four-year-old’s Catholic school decides to expel all children of gay parents, Michelle tiptoes into a controversy that exposes her to long-buried shame, which leads to a public battle with the Church and a private one with her parents.
Gallery Books * 9781451697292

THE TROOP: A Novel of Terror by Nick Cutter (Thriller)
Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip. An unexpected intruder stumbles upon their campsite like a wild animal. He is shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry --- a man in unspeakable torment who exposes Tim and the boys to something far more frightening than any ghost story. Within his body is a bioengineered nightmare, a horror that spreads faster than fear.
Gallery Books * 9781476717715

VIENNA NOCTURNE by Vivien Shotwell (Historical Fiction)
VIENNA NOCTURNE tells the story of the turbulent life and brilliantly successful career of young British opera singer Anna Storace, a child prodigy who is taken by her parents to Italy at age 13 to advance her career. In love with life and wildly ambitious, Anna wants everything --- to be famous, to be loved --- and this leads her to make some fatal choices. We watch her turn from a carefree young girl to a passionate young woman, and it is during this transformation that her affair with Mozart blossoms.
Ballantine Books * 9780345536372

WHEN SHADOWS FALL: A Samantha Owens Novel by J. T. Ellison (Thriller)
Forensic pathologist Dr. Samantha Owens thought life was finally returning to normal after she suffered a terrible personal loss. Settling into her new job at Georgetown University, the illusion is shattered when she receives a disturbing letter from a dead man imploring her to solve his murder. There's only one catch: Timothy Savage's death was so obviously the suicide of a demented individual that the case has been closed.
Harlequin MIRA * 9780778316046

WHERE NOBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME: Life In the Minor Leagues of Baseball by John Feinstein (Sports)
WHERE NOBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME takes readers inside the gritty, no-frills, high-stakes world of Triple-A baseball, which serves simultaneously as a launching pad for superstar careers and as a crash-landing pad for stars who have fallen. Introducing us to eight men --- two pitchers, three position players, two managers, and one umpire --- John Feinstein tells the riveting stories of those who are on the cusp of greatness.
Doubleday * 9780385535939


February 27th

FIVE CAME BACK: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris (History/Entertainment)
In PICTURES AT A REVOLUTION, Mark Harris turned the story of the five movies nominated for Best Picture in 1967 into a landmark work of cultural history, a book about the transformation of an art form and the larger social shift it signified. Now, in FIVE CAME BACK, he gives us the untold story of how Hollywood changed World War II, and how World War II changed Hollywood, through the prism of five film directors caught up in the war: John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra and George Stevens.
The Penguin Press * 9781594204302

WONDERKID by Wesley Stace (Fiction)
Sold-out concerts, screaming fans, TV shows, Number Ones. This is the rock and roll dream, and the Wonderkids are living it. But something is wrong. Although the gigs are sold out, the halls are packed with little kids instead of sexy hipsters. And all that screaming sounds more like wailing. The TV appearances are PBS on Saturday morning rather than “Saturday Night Live,” and as for Number Ones, you don’t want to know.
Overlook Hardcover * 9781468308013
On Sale the Week of February 24th in Paperback

February 25th

ASTONISHED: A Story of Healing and Finding Grace by Beverly Donofrio (Memoir)
Beverly Donofrio had already lived two lives --- first as a scrappy young mother on the streets of the East Village and later as a bestselling author. Even though she was living in a vibrant, picturesque Mexican town, where she practiced yoga, drank margaritas in her backyard, and took salsa lessons, she felt lost and was searching for monasteries to visit. Then one night, she woke to find a rapist holding a knife to her throat.
Penguin Books * 9780143124900

THE BURNING AIR by Erin Kelly (Psychological Thriller)
The MacBrides lead a cozy life of upper class privilege, including tuition-free education at the prestigious private school where Rowan is headmaster, an altruistic righteousness inherited from magistrate Lydia. But when Rowan and his three children gather for the first time since Lydia’s passing at the family’s weekend home, years of secrets surface, and they discover in their midst a stranger who is convinced that Lydia was a murderer.
Penguin Books * 9780143124528

CITY OF JASMINE by Deanna Raybourn (Historical Fiction)
Paperback Original
In a story set against the lush, exotic European colonial outposts of the 1920s, New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn delivers the captivating tale of one woman who embarks upon a journey to see the world --- and ends up finding intrigue, danger, and a love beyond all reason.
Harlequin MIRA * 9780778316213

THE COTTAGE ON JUNIPER RIDGE: Life in Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts (Romance)
Paperback Original
Can a book change your life? Yes, when it's Simplicity, Muriel Sterling's guide to plain living. In fact, it inspires Jen Heath to leave her stressful, overcommitted life in Seattle and move to Icicle Falls, where she rents a lovely little cottage on Juniper Ridge. And where she can enjoy simple pleasures --- like joining the local book club --- and complicated ones, like falling in love with her sexy landlord, Garrett Armstrong.
Harlequin MIRA * 9780778314547

DEATH OF YESTERDAY: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by M. C. Beaton (Mystery)
When a local woman tells Sergeant Hamish Macbeth that she doesn't remember what happened the previous evening, he doesn't begin to worry. She had been out drinking, after all, and he'd prefer not to be bothered with such an arrogant and annoying woman. But when her body is discovered, Hamish is forced to investigate a crime that the only known witness --- now dead --- had forgotten.
Grand Central Publishing * 9781455504756

EVENING STARS: A Blackberry Island Novel by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
Paperback Original
Small-town nurse Nina Wentworth has made a career out of being a caretaker. More “Mom” than their mother ever was, she sacrificed medical school --- and her first love --- so her sister could break free. Which is why she isn’t exactly thrilled to see Averil back on Blackberry Island, especially when Nina’s life has suddenly become…complicated.
Harlequin MIRA * 9780778316138

FOR CREW AND COUNTRY: The Inspirational True Story of Bravery and Sacrifice Aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts by John Wukovits (History)
On October 25, 1944, the Samuel B. Roberts, along with the other 12 vessels comprising its unit, stood between Japan's largest battleship force ever sent to sea and MacArthur’s transports inside Leyte Gulf. Of 563 destroyers constructed during World War II, the Samuel B. Roberts was the only one sunk, going down with guns blazing. The men who survived faced a horrifying three-day nightmare in the sea, where they battled a lack of food and water, scorching sun and numbing nighttime cold, and nature’s most feared adversary --- sharks.
St. Martin's Griffin * 9781250041913

THE FUN PARTS: Stories by Sam Lipsyte (Fiction/Short Stories)
Sam Lipsyte’s second collection of short stories features the characters you would expect to see in a Lipsyte book: wise-cracking slackers from New York and New Jersey, most of them male, with drug and commitment problems. But you also get well-rounded female characters, touching moments between dying parents and their adult progeny, and surprisingly poetic writing. THE FUN PARTS fulfills the promise of VENUS DRIVE, Lipsyte’s vivid first collection.
Picador * 9781250043597

THE GATE THIEF by Orson Scott Card (Fantasy)
Here on Earth, Danny North is still in high school, yet he holds in his heart and mind all the stolen outselves of 13 centuries of gatemages. The Families still want to kill him if they can't control him…and they can't control him. He is far too powerful. When Danny comes face-to-face with the mages who call themselves Bel and Ishtoreth, he will come to understand just why Loki closed the gates all those centuries ago.
Tor Fantasy * 9780765365392

THE HEIST by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg (Thriller/Adventure)
FBI Special Agent Kate Winslow is determined to put the slippery conman known as Danny Cole behind bars. But Danny is quick-witted, charming and distractingly good looking, and is known the world over for being able to pull off some of the most dangerous, high-profile cons with seeming ease. In a dark twist of fate, Kate discovers that her next mission just might include partnering up with her nemesis in the hunt to take down big-league crime.
Bantam * 9780345543059

HER: A Memoir by Christa Parravani (Memoir)
Christa Parravani and her identical twin, Cara, were linked by a bond that went beyond sisterhood or friendship. But haunted by childhood experiences with father figures and further damaged by being raped as a young adult, Cara descended into depression, drugs and a shocking early death. A few years later, Christa read that when an identical twin dies, 50 percent of the time the surviving twin dies within two years. First, Christa fought to stop her sister's downward spiral; suddenly, she was struggling to keep herself alive.
Picador * 9781250044396

HONOR by Elif Shafak (Historical Fiction)
Internationally bestselling Turkish author Elif Shafak's new novel is a dramatic tale of families, love and misunderstandings that follows the destinies of twin sisters born in a Kurdish village. While Jamila stays to become a midwife, Pembe follows her Turkish husband, Adem, to London, where they hope to make new lives for themselves and their children. In London, they face a choice: stay loyal to the old traditions or try their best to fit in.
Penguin Books * 9780143125044

HOUSE OF GLASS by Sophie Littlefield (Suspense)
Paperback Original
On an evening that was supposed to be like any other, two men force their way into the Glasses' home, but what begins as a common robbery takes an even more terrifying turn. Held hostage in the basement for more than 48 hours, married couple Jen and Ted must put aside their differences if they have any hope of survival.
Harlequin MIRA * 9780778314783

JACOB'S FOLLY by Rebecca Miller (Historical Fiction)
In 18th-century Paris, Jacob Cerf is a Jew, a peddler of knives, saltcellars and snuffboxes. Despite a disastrous teenage marriage, he is determined to raise himself up in life. More than 200 years later, Jacob is amazed to find himself reincarnated as a fly in the Long Island suburbs of 21st-century America. Thanks to his arrival, the lives of a reliable volunteer fireman and a young Orthodox Jewish woman nursing a secret ambition will never be the same.
Picador * 9781250043603

JUSTICE FOR SARA by Erica Spindler (Thriller)
A jury found Katherine McCall not guilty of her sister’s murder. Not everyone agreed with the decision, and Kat’s only choice was to go into hiding. But she carried a dark secret with her, one that made her worry she might actually have had something to do with Sara’s death. Now, 10 years later, Kat receives a chilling anonymous letter that makes the past impossible to ignore.
St. Martin's Paperbacks * 9781250042460

LIBERATION SQUARE: Inside the Egyptian Revolution and the Rebirth of a Nation by Ashraf Khalil (History)
As a journalist based in Cairo, Ashraf Khalil was an eyewitness to the perfect storm that brought down Hosni Mubarak and his regime. Khalil was subjected to tear gas alongside protestors in Tahrir Square, barely escaped an enraged mob, and witnessed the day-to-day developments from the frontlines. From the halls of power to the back alleys of Cairo, he offers a one-of-a-kind look at a nation in the throes of an uprising.
St. Martin's Griffin * 9781250042811

MARY COIN by Marisa Silver (Historical Fiction)
In 1936, a young mother resting by the side of a road in Central California is spontaneously photographed by a woman documenting the migrant laborers who have taken to America’s farms in search of work. Little personal information is exchanged, and neither woman has any way of knowing that they have produced what will become the most iconic image of the Great Depression.
Plume * 9780142180785

PIRATE ALLEY by Stephen Coonts (Thriller/Adventure)
A cruise ship is attacked and captured by a band of bloodthirsty Somali pirates, who threaten to execute all their hostages if their ransom demands aren’t met. But a far more dangerous conspiracy is afoot. Jake Grafton is assigned to negotiate with the brutal pirate chief, while his right hand man, Tommy Carmellini, and a team of CIA and Navy SEAL operatives mount an undercover operation to save the hostages and keep the U.S. from being maneuvered into a murderous war.
St. Martin's Paperbacks * 9781250046413

THE SOUND OF BROKEN GLASS by Deborah Crombie (Mystery)
A well-respected barrister is found dead at a seedy hotel. Is it an unsavory accident or murder? In either case, he was not alone. Detective Inspector Gemma James and her team must find his companion --- a search that takes them into unexpected corners and forces them to contemplate unsettling truths about the weaknesses and passions that lead to murder.
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780061990649

THE STILL POINT OF THE TURNING WORLD by Emily Rapp (Memoir)
Like all mothers, Emily Rapp had ambitious plans for her first and only child, Ronan. But that all changed when Ronan was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease, a rare and always-fatal degenerative disorder. Rapp and her husband were forced to re-evaluate everything they thought they knew about parenting. THE STILL POINT OF THE TURNING WORLD is the story of a mother’s journey through grief and beyond it.
Penguin Books * 9780143125105

TELL ME by Lisa Jackson (Thriller)
Twenty years ago, Blondell O'Henry was convicted of murdering her eldest daughter and wounding her two other children. The prosecution argued that Blondell wanted to be rid of them to be with her lover. Blondell's son, Niall, has recanted his testimony and demolished the case in the process. Reporter Nikki Gillette is determined to get the true story, and not just for professional reasons.
Zebra/Kensington * 9781420118544

THREE SOULS by Janie Chang (Historical Fiction)
Paperback Original
We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this.... So begins the haunting and captivating tale, set in 1935 China, of the ghost of a young woman named Leiyin, who watches her own funeral from above and wonders why she is being denied entry to the afterlife. Beside her are three souls --- stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun --- who will guide her toward understanding. She must, they tell her, make amends.
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062293190

TRAGIC by Robert K. Tanenbaum (Thriller)
A villainous union leader is willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to protect his corrupt longshoremen’s union. When a whistleblower tries to clean up the system, the leader sees his way of life threatened by this bold newcomer. He orders an open hit contract to kill the man, which is carried out by three of his underlings. Soon the law picks up on the trail, and Marlene Ciampi and Butch Karp team up to expose the man for the fraud and murderer that he is before the body count increases.
Pocket Books * 9781451635560

THE UNCHANGEABLE SPOTS OF LEOPARDS by Kristopher Jansma (Fiction)
From the jazz clubs of Manhattan to the villages of Sri Lanka, Kristopher Jansma’s narrator will be inspired and haunted by the success of his greatest friend and rival in writing, Julian McGann, and endlessly enamored with Julian’s friend, Evelyn, the green-eyed girl who got away. After the trio has a disastrous falling out, desperate to tell the truth in his writing and to figure out who he really is, Jansma’s narrator finds himself caught in a never-ending web of lies.
Penguin Books * 9780143125020

WATCHING THE DARK: An Inspector Banks Novel by Peter Robinson (Mystery/Thriller)
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and his colleague, DI Annie Cabbot, become entangled in a complex case involving corruption, a dead cop, and a missing girl that leads them across the Channel and down a dark trail to find the truth.
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062283979

WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES by Karen Joy Fowler (Fiction)
Rosemary Cooke was not yet six when her sister, Fern, was removed. Over the years, she has managed to block a lot of memories. With some guile, she guides us through the darkness, penetrating secrets and unearthing memories, leading us deeper into the mystery she has dangled before us from the start. Stripping off the protective masks that have hidden truths too painful to acknowledge, in the end, “Rosemary” truly is for remembrance.
Plume * 9780142180822

WISE MEN by Stuart Nadler (Fiction)
During the summer of 1952, attorney Arthur Wise’s teenage son, Hilly, makes friends with a black man named Lem Dawson. When Hilly finds himself falling for Lem's niece, Savannah, his affection for her collides with his father's dark secrets. Years later, Hilly sets out to find Savannah, in an attempt to right the wrongs he helped set in motion. But can his guilt, and his good intentions, overcome the forces of history, family and identity?
Back Bay Books * 9780316126496

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