Week of May 1, 2023

Paperback releases for the week of May 1st include THE LIONESS, a riveting historical thriller from Chris Bohjalian in which a luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood starlet and her entourage; TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone, a stunning thriller about a woman under pressure and how far she will go when everything is on the line; Jamie Ford's THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY, a powerful exploration of the love that binds one family across the generations; BULLY MARKET by Jamie Fiore Higgins, a rare insider’s account on Wall Street where greed coupled with misogyny and discrimination enforces a culture of exclusion in the upper echelons of Goldman Sachs; and Casey Sherman's HELLTOWN, a landmark true crime narrative that reveals the secrets of notorious serial killer Tony Costa --- the most dangerous man on Cape Cod --- and unspools the threads connecting Costa, Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer in the seaside city that played host to horrors unlike any ever seen before.

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Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offense against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly you plot.

But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice.

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May 2023

May's Books on Screen roundup includes the series premieres of "American Born Chinese" on Disney+, "City on Fire" on Apple TV+, and "Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss" on Peacock; the season eight premiere of AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead"; the conclusions of "The Last Thing He Told Me" on Apple TV+ and "Saint X" on Hulu; the season one finales of ABC's "Will Trent" and AMC's "Lucky Hank"; the films Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery and The Jane Mysteries: Inheritance Lost on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries; and the DVD releases of Knock at the Cabin, Children of the Corn and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

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Simon Winchester, author of Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic

With the advent of the internet, any topic we want to know about is instantly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time when we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things --- no need for math, no need for map-reading, no need for memorization --- are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of thoughtfulness? Addressing these questions, Simon Winchester explores how humans have attained, stored and disseminated knowledge. Studded with strange and fascinating details, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW is a deep dive into learning and the human mind. Throughout this fascinating tour, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming.

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Maggie Smith, author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir

In her memoir YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL, poet Maggie Smith explores the disintegration of her marriage and her renewed commitment to herself in lyrical vignettes that shine, hard and clear as jewels. The book begins with one woman’s personal, particular heartbreak, but its circles widen into a reckoning with contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics that persist even in many progressive homes. With the spirit of self-inquiry and empathy she’s known for, Smith interweaves snapshots of a life with meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness and narrative itself. The power of these pieces is cumulative: page after page, they build into a larger interrogation of family, work and patriarchy.

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Emily Henry, author of Happy Place

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college. But they broke up five months ago and still haven’t told their best friends. This is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. The cottage is for sale, and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?

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