12 Books from the Big Publishers (BookExpo 2017: Part 3)

My final roundup of BookExpo highlights books from the big publishing houses. As I did for my previous posts (5 books for your wish list; 8 books from smaller presses), I'm leaving out the really big authors, whose books you're unlikely to miss (for example, both Alice Hoffman and Philip Pullman have novels coming out this year). My intent is to share just some of the books I discovered in New York. You'll be hearing about more over the coming months.

The following 12 books are a mix of fiction and nonfiction, and all but one is geared to an adult audience. Pay attention to the publishing date; some will be in bookstores this summer, but most won't be available until fall.

• The Address by Fiona Davis (Dutton, August): When the New York City apartment building the Dakota was built in the late nineteenth century, it was considered to be in the hinterlands, a haven for the rich and famous. This novel takes place in two time periods--the 1880s and the 1980s--and explores life within the walls of the iconic building.
• Calling My Name by Liara Tamani (Greenwillow, October): Set in Houston, Texas, this story is told from the view point of an African American girl, who reflects on her teen years, from middle school through senior year of high school. In the short chapters of this emotionally strong novel, we see Taja trying to balance the conservative values she learns at home with her experiences in the outside world.
• The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey (Grand Central Publishing, October): This first in a new police procedural thriller / mystery series is set in rural Australia. As Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock investigates the murder of a former high school classmate, her own past secrets threaten to bubble to the surface. The novel has been billed as being dark and complex.
• Island of the Blue Foxes by Stephen R. Brown (De Capo Press, November): Did you know that Czar Peter the Great funded a major expedition through Siberia and the polar waters into North America, ultimately "discovering" what is now Alaska. Led by Captain Vitus Bering, the adventure had mixed success: it opened up the northwest fur trade but cost dearly in terms of human suffering. This is the true-life account of that Russian journey of exploration.

• The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan (Touchstone, September): I couldn't resist picking up a copy of this true story about Edith Dresser who married George Vanderbilt and was one of the key forces behind keeping the beautiful Biltmore house and estate running smoothly, even during tough economic times. Although many of us have heard of the magnificent North Carolina chateau and the Vanderbilt family who occupied its rooms, few of us know Edith's role in preserving the grounds and her husband's legacy.
• A Moonless, Starless Sky by Alexis Okeowo (Hachette, October): Written by a journalist who was once based in Nigeria, this book follows four threads that expose real life in today's Africa. The people we meet are from different countries and have had different experiences, some unimaginable to those of us in the comfortable West. The publisher's summary to this nonfiction account says it's about "ordinary people doing the extraordinary" to make lives better for all Africans.
• A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan (Redhook, September): This novel was pitched as a family saga, spanning several generations, and set in France and England. It focuses on mother-daughter relationships and, of course, has a bit of magic.The story spans the early 1800s through to World War II and is billed as being good for fans of Discovery of Witches.
• Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak (Berkley, October): I couldn't resist the premise of this novel: A family is quarantined in their home over Christmas week because one member has just returned to the UK after being part of a team that treated victims of a viral epidemic in Liberia. No one can leave the house and no one can enter. Will they survive each other's quirks while keeping their own secrets to themselves?

• Sourdough by Robin Sloan (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, September): What happens when a non-cooking Bay Area software engineer inherits a sourdough starter? In this fun foodie novel, Lois is transformed by her new charge, learning to bake and getting involved in San Fransisco's underground food culture.
• South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby (Picador, July): This novel introduces us to a young painter who is accepted into a National Science Foundation retreat program for artists and writers. Sounds like heaven--that is, if your idea of heaven is Antarctica, with six months of no sun and subzero temperatures. Personal growth, the politics of climate change, and making unlikely friendships are at the heart of this book.
• The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson (Ecco, September): Set on a family farm in 1930s Georgia, this novel explores family secrets, racial tensions, violence, and economic hardship. This multigenerational story shows us both the strength of individual spirit and the ugliness that arises from hate of those who are different from us.
• Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown (Spiegel & Grau, July): This novel's tagline caught my attention: "Who you want people to be makes you blind to who they really are." Billie, a seemingly happy and successful woman, goes missing while on a solo hike in the American west, leaving behind a daughter and husband, who can only assume she has died. When father and daughter begin to search into Billie's past for clues of her fate, they realize they never actually knew her at all.

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8 Books from Smaller Presses (BookExpo 2017: Part 2)

One of the things I look forward to when I plan my annual trip to Book Expo (formally BEA), is getting a chance to learn about books from some of the smaller presses. Although the publishers featured today are hardly obscure, they are independent from the giant houses that seem to get all the buzz.

Instead of featuring the big-name authors and titles you'll hear about everywhere (including here on Beth Fish Reads), today I want to introduce you to a handful of books that may have slipped by your radar. All but one is fiction, and most take us outside the United States and/or to different times, providing a broad perspective on life and humanity.

• Solar Bones by Mike McCormack (Soho, September): Set in rural Ireland, this novel is told by a spirit who returns to his home and recalls his life in all his roles, from son to father and everything in between and beyond. This award-winning novel gives us a feel for a generation of changes and challenges.
• The Widows of Malabar Hill (Soho Crime, January 2018): The protagonist of this first in a new series is loosely based on India's first woman lawyer. Set about 100 years ago in Bombay, this crime novel concerns a case of potential fraud against three traditional, sheltered widows of the same man. The case also involves lost inheritances and the threat of murder.
• The Extra Woman by Joanna Scutts (Liveright, November): For most of history, Western culture has pitied or scorned the woman who chooses to remain single. Yet almost 90 years ago, Marjorie Hillis, who wrote for Vogue magazine, helped make the "Live-Aloners" fashionable. This book explores the rise and fall of the glory days of the independent woman over the course of the twentieth century and into our own times.
• Across the China Sea by Gaute Heivoll (Graywolf Press, September): In the post-World War II years, a Norwegian family opens their home to the lost and broken, forging bonds that hold an unlikely group of adults and children together to face a changing world. The novel is told in retrospect as the son cleans out the house after his parents' deaths.

• Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaughen (Bloomsbury, January 2018): This first in a four-part young adult fantasy series features a young woman who agrees to a marriage in return for the promise of peace between two rival lands. Her sacrifice is made all the harder when she must hide her elemental powers from her husband while trying to stay loyal to her own heritage. The novel promises battles, betrayal, politics, and magic.
• Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak (Bloomsbury, December): This novel takes place in the course of a single evening in modern-day Istanbul. A woman who survives a mugging on her way to an opulent dinner party tries to balance her present circumstances with her college years abroad. Meanwhile the city erupts in violence caused by a series of terrorist attacks. Literary fiction that examines feminism in the context of Islam.
• Leona: The Die Is Cast by Jenny Rogneby (Other Press, August): this gritty Scandinavian crime novel features a flawed female detective who is barely able to hold herself together long enough to solve a bizarre bank robbery, allegedly pulled off by a seven-year-old girl. The author is both a former Stockholm cop and a former pop singer.
• To the Back of Beyond by Peter Stamm (Other Press, October): One night after a women goes inside to check on her child, her husband leaves the back garden and starts walking through the Swiss countryside. This slip of a novel explores the couple's now separate lives--one seemingly aimless, the other tied to home--and how life can change in a single moment.

Next week I'll feature picks from the big publishing houses. In case you missed it, yesterday I featured 5 Book Expo picks, also from small publishers.

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5 Books to Put on Your Wish List (BookExpo 2017: Part 1)

As many of you know, I was in New York last week to attend this year's Book Expo (formally known as BEA) to learn about all the new and exciting books that will soon be in the stores and libraries and in your hands and on your wish lists.

I walked the convention floor many times over looking for both the hot titles everyone wants as well as the lesser-know books that you might well miss. Instead of my usual coverage of panels and events, this year I'm going to write a series of three or four roundup posts that highlight some of the books I'm most excited about.

Pay attention to the publishers and the publishing dates: one of the following is available right now, but the others won't come out until fall. It's never too early to preorder or to get on that library waiting list, right?

• The End of the World Running Club by Adrian Walker (Sourcebooks, September): Who doesn't love a good dystopian novel, especially one that involves family and the burning need to find each other across a great distance in a world turned upside down. This story takes place in the UK, after an asteroid makes a direct hit with earth. Our hero is about to be tested both physically and mentally.
• The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken (Disney Hyperion, September): I kind of feel I need not say much more than urban fantasy, middle grade, and Alexandra Bracken! This start of a new series introduces us to demons and a troubled family. There are bad guys and good guys and few curses. The novel is set in Salem, MA, so can I expect witches too?
• As Lie Is to Grin by Simeon Marsalis (Catapult, October): I'm not really sure what to expect from this novel, but I think it is going to offer a mix of perspectives on modern-day life as a young (adult) black America. Old and new collide as history is rewritten, or at least filtered, by what one finds on the Internet. I met the author, who was warm and friendly; I wish him all the best with his debut novel. 
• The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Marta McDowell (Timber Press, September): There were several Laura Ingalls Wilder books and totes at BEA this year, and I was happy I was able to get a copy of this beautifully illustrated book that enriches the Little House world by focusing on the natural landscape that called to Pa and informed Laura's writing. I've already preordered a finished copy.
• Grocery by Michael Ruhlman (Abrams, May): I can't wait to start reading this well-researched (and well edited) look at the rise of the American grocery store, with its standardized layout, and how it reflects the country's culture, economics, and eating patterns. Ruhlman did more than an armchair investigation; he traveled the country, meeting people and even gaining firsthand experience as a supermarket bagger. 

Up next will be a few of the books I discovered from some smaller presses, and I'll finish with one or two posts from the big four publishers.

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8 Books to Look Forward To (BEA)

One thing I love about BookExpo American (BEA) is the look into my reading future. Publicists are naturally extra-excited about the books coming out over the summer, but they are also already talking about fall and even 2017.

Although I won't likely get to these books until the weather starts to turn again, I thought I share a handful of those that came home with me from Chicago. So what's on my list? A mix of familiar authors and new ones, literary fiction and fantasy, books in translation, and even some art history. Can't wait to hear which ones call to you.

Favorite Authors / New Novels

• Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Levitt: Set around 1970, this novel captures an era as a young girl heads off to rural Pennsylvania on a journey of independence. A coming-of-age story with themes of first love, sisters, and loss of innocence all with an undercurrent of danger. "Lucy runs away with her high school teacher, William, on a Friday, the last day of school, a June morning shiny with heat." (Algonquin, October) • The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue: In Donohue's classic style of mixing reality with fantasy, this is a tale of a woman who is trapped in a magical world and of her husband who must first find her and then figure out how to rescue her. Set in the Old City of Quebec "She fell in love with a puppet." (Picador, October)

Stories about Writers: Translated

• Cabo de Gata by Eugen Ruge: A Berlin writer escapes his past to start over in small coastal Andalusian village, but settling in to a new home in his new country requires more than just trying to learn Spanish. Only after he befriends a ginger cat, does his life begin to truly change. Translated from the German. "I remember stopping short midmovement." (Graywolf Press, November) • Agnes by Peter Stamm: When Agnes asks her lover to write a story about her, he begins with their happy courtship, but he soon realizes he needs some tension or drama to bring life to his tale. Is he writing fiction or making plans? Translated from the German. "Agnes is dead. Killed by a story." (Other Press, October)

Mysterious Doings

• The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz: This story within stories, set in France in 1242, is about a peasant girl, a young monk, and a mysterious boy healer. Travelers at an inn begin to relate what they know about the magical trio, allowing us to piece together a tale of danger, dragons, clashing religions, and kingly courts. Middle grade fantasy with a Chaucer foundation & beautiful illuminated illustrations. "The king is ready for war." (Dutton, September) • The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders: Laetitia Rodd, a middle-aged widow puts her inquiring mind to work as a private investigator, often helping her barrister brother. When she goes undercover as a governess at a country estate, she unearths much more than the details of the young master's love life. Set in Victorian England and the first of a new series. "It was a bright, windy October morning, and Mrs. Bentley and I were down in the basement kitchen making a rabbit pudding." (Bloomsbury, September)

Artists in History

• A Revolution in Color by Jane Kamensky: John Singleton Copley counted many of the Boston patriots as his clients and patrons in the years before the Revolution. The artist, however, did not share their political views. This well-researched history/biography looks at Copley's life, ambitions, and paintings both in the colonies and in London and sets all in the context of contemporary politics and sociocultural ideas. "John Singleton Copley grew up facing the sea, heaving heart of Britain's growing blue-water empire." (Norton, October) • Mad Enchantment by Ross King: When you hear the name Claude Monet, you're likely to immediately think of his famous water lily paintings, but you might not know story behind how he came to create that series. This thoroughly researched biography looks at Monet's late-in-life work against the bigger picture of his personal losses, World War I, and the rising generation of new artists with their bold, experimental styles. "Where was Georges Clemenceau?" (Bloomsbury, September)

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The Totes of BEA 2016

I probably shouldn't admit this in public, but I'm kind of a tote bag nerd. One of things I really enjoy at BEA (besides learning about new books and seeing friends) is finding and collecting the cool totes of the year. Totes are my favorite swag, and I put them to good use throughout the year--especially when traveling and shopping.

I tend to be attracted to the canvas bags (they're durable and washable), especially those with fun graphics or sayings. I'll collect a noncanvas tote if something draws me to it, like the Louise Penny audiobook tote, seen in the center of the photo at the left.

Every year I wish someone (not me) would run a best tote of the show contest. I always have one or two that make the top of my list.

One new trend at BEA 2016 was coloring totes! I plan to color the bags I collected with fabric pens, though I bet Sharpies would work too. Aren't they cool? (Click the images to see them full size and in sharper focus.)

Now for my top three totes of the show:

In third place is the gusseted canvas tote from Sounds True. I love the tote's shape and the cord handles. In second place is the very nice tote from Hachette Book Group. This one has a zippered outside pocket and a zipper closure at the top of the tote. Great features! But my vote for best tote of BEA 2016 is the pretty, gusseted tote from London Review of Books. I love the color and the way the words run up the sides of the bag. Although their booth was hidden in the far corner of the expo floor, the London Review of Books totes were found everywhere. So distinctive, and the blue really popped.

Of course, I didn't take every available tote, and I saw some really cute ones that other people were carrying. However, I really like each one I added to my collection. If you were at BEA, which totes did you love?

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Weekend Cooking: 6 Books for Foodies and Cooks (BEA)

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

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As many of you know, I was in Chicago last week for Book Expo America. Although I wandered the show floor with no particular agenda, I kept my eyes open for books that would be a good fit for future Weekend Cooking posts.

Here are a six books I picked up or heard about at BEA. Half fall into the category of food writing and the other half are cookbooks. All looked interesting to me and I hope to write full reviews in the weeks to come.

In the meantime, I'm sharing my quick impressions, so you can get a jump on preordering or requesting from your library. Hope you find two or three to add to your list.

Food Writing / Memoirs

• The Food & Wine of France by Edward Behr: This books consists of 32 essays, each one focusing on a different aspect of French cuisine, such as bread, salt, champagne, snails, cheese, and cake. Looks like a good one to read a chapter at a time. (Penguin Press, June)
• Pancakes in Paris by Craig Carlson: The story of how the Connecticut-born author came to open an American-style diner in Paris, the city known for its haute cuisine. The style is fun, light, and conversational. (Sourcebooks, September)
• Truffle Boy by Ian Purkayastha: After tasting his first truffle, this Arkansas native was so instantly a fan he made the fungus his business. Still in his 20s, he now sells one of the world's most expensive ingredients to the most famous chefs in New York City. (Hachette, August)

Cookbooks

• Breaking Breads by Uri Scheft: Hello! It's a cookbook on bread and all its cousins (like babka and doughnuts). You knew I couldn't walk by this one. I have only a pamphlet, but I can already tell I'm going to love the cookbook. (Artisan, October)
• Fast to the Table Freezer Cookbook by Becky Rosenthal: I'm a big fan of using my freezer and this book promises to have be full of tips and advice on both properly storing foods as well as cooking with them later. Can't wait to see the full cookbook. (Countryman Press, May)
• Eat What You Love: Quick & Easy by Marlene Koch: This cookbook really caught my attention with its full-flavored and varied recipes all geared to good health. From a quick look through the book (and see the cover) I doubt I'm going to notice those missing calories. (Running Press, April)

I found other food and cooking books at BEA and made some new contacts, so it looks like I have a good start on my summer Weekend Cooking posts.

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Monday Morning: The Audies and BEA Friends in Photos

I will have a recap of my recent trip to Book Expo America 2016 in a few days, in the meantime . . .

. . . the absolute highlight this year didn't take place at the expo at all; instead it was the 2016 Audies Gala, held at the Alder Planetarium in Chicago. I was invited to the gala because I was the Audio Publishers Association's Book Blogger of the Year (I still can't quite believe it)! The event was everything I dreamed of, and the members of the APA couldn't have been more welcoming to me and my roomie/plus-one, Sheila from the very popular blog Book Journey.

(I took the photo of the planetarium, but the rest of the photos were by Sheila or the official Audies photographer.)

Yes, that's me and Paula Poundstone; she was the emcee of the awards ceremony and kept us laughing for the entire show. Next are the people I hung out with all week at the actual book part of BEA (photo credit also to Kim):

I already miss Florinda (The 3 R's Blog) and Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness) and Sheila (Book Journey). Hey guys, where are we going for breakfast?

More about the books later in the week.

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The APA's 2016 Audiobook Blogger of the Year

If you heard a loud squeal coming from central Pennsylvania yesterday, that was me receiving the news I was chosen as the Audio Publishers Association's 2016 Audiobook Blogger of the Year.

To say I was stunned and overwhelmed is an understatement. Who knew when I listened to my very first audiobook (on cassettes!) back in the 1980s, that I would ever become such a vocal fan of the medium?

Thanks so much to the APA for this great honor. I think I'm still in a daze and my feet haven't touched the ground since I heard the news. Here's more about the award (from the APA's press release):

"This contest was created to recognize the valuable contribution of independent audiobook listeners who review and promote the format online," says APA President Linda Lee. "It is an opportunity to not only reward their work, but also to increase engaging discussions about audiobooks on the web and to encourage new bloggers to join the conversation."

I couldn't agree more about encouraging new listeners and reviewers: give audiobooks a chance, and never stop writing about them or talking about them!

I hope to see you all in Chicago, where I'll be at BEA and attending the Audies Gala:

[The] prize for winning the competition is 2 tickets to the black-tie Audie Awards'® Gala, which will be held on Wednesday, May 11th at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. [Beth Fish Reads] will be recognized for her achievement at the Gala and have her photo taken with Audies emcee, comedian Paula Poundstone, and contest judge Katherine Kellgren. 

Now to find that perfect dress.

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BEA 2015: Book Group Speed Dating Session Part 2

Yesterday I featured some of my favorite books from the Book Group Speed Dating session, presented by Reading Group Guides. Today I'm going to finish up my recap of that session with book club choices from four more publishers. I'm leaving off the presentation from William Morrow because I discussed their books on Monday. Ready? Here we go!

Picador USA

• Black Man in White Coat by Damon Tweedy: the subtitle of this memoir says it all: "A Doctor's Reflections on Race and Medicine"
• 'Til the Well Runs Dry by Lauren Francis Sharma: fiction; spanning the mid-20th century, an assimilation story that takes place in Trinidad and the United States

Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates: a contemporary psychological thriller set in Oxford; a game played among a group of college freshmen spins out of control; the author is a crossword puzzle editor:

A compulsively readable psychological thriller set in New York and at Oxford University in which a group of six students play an elaborate game of dares and consequences with tragic result

It was only ever meant to be a game played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University; a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares. But then the game changed: The stakes grew higher and the dares more personal and more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results. Now, fourteen years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round. Who knows better than your best friends what would break you? A gripping psychological thriller partly inspired by the author's own time at Oxford University, Black Chalk is perfect for fans of the high tension and expert pacing of The Secret History and The Bellwether Revivals. Christopher J. Yates' background in puzzle writing and setting can clearly be seen in the plotting of this clever, tricky book that will keep you guessing to the very end.

Ballantine Books

• The Scent of Secrets by Jane Thynne: a paperback original; World War II-era crime novel featuring a woman who is both actress and spy, British and German; first in a trilogy

All of Us and Everything by Bridget Asher: edgy family drama about three sisters coping with newfound information about their absent father; the author is aka Julianna Baggott (who wrote the Pure trilogy)

Life as Augusta Rockwell knows it changes once she unearths a box of old letters written by her estranged husband, Nick Flemming, the love of her life and the father her three children have never known. She's told her daughters that their absent father was actually a spy, which is why he couldn't be part of their lives. But the letters reveal that Nick has secretly been keeping tabs on his family all these years from afar-a discovery that, while shocking, has the potential to mend the fractured and wayward lives of the three Rockwell sisters.

Simon & Schuster

• Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg: a small town copes with a local tragedy; told from multiple points of view; emotionally strong
• The Incarnations by Susan Barker: contemporary and historical fiction; reincarnation; has elements of Chinese folk tales and literary classics

Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman: strong characters; set in the Caribbean; involves Pissarro and art; Jewish themes:

. . . [A] forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas about the extraordinary woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro--the Father of Impressionism.

Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their small refugee community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules. Growing up, Rachel's salvation is their maid Adelle's belief in her strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelle's daughter. But Rachel's life is not her own. She is married off to a widower with three children to save her father's business. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Frederick, arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists of France.

Viking

• The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee: contemporary story of three women who immigrated from the United States to Hong Kong; themes include motherhood, friendship, and choices
• Love in Lowercase by Francesc Miralles: a translation from the French; an introverted, bookish man finds his place in the greater world after he takes in a stray cat; charming

A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton: a Japanese woman living in Philadelphia is confronted by a young man who claims to be her grandson; set in the mid-1980s; family secrets:

When Amaterasu Takahashi opens the door of her Philadelphia home to a badly scarred man claiming to be her grandson, she doesn't believe him. Her grandson and her daughter, Yuko, perished nearly forty years ago during the bombing of Nagasaki. But the man carries with him a collection of sealed private letters that open a Pandora's Box of family secrets Ama had sworn to leave behind when she fled Japan. She is forced to confront her memories of the years before the war: of the daughter she tried too hard to protect and the love affair that would drive them apart, and even further back, to the long, sake-pouring nights at a hostess bar where Ama first learned that a soft heart was a dangerous thing. Will Ama allow herself to believe in a miracle?

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BEA 2015: Book Group Speed Dating Session Part 1

As many of you know, last week I was in New York to attend Book Expo America, the major annual publishing industry conference. Every year I remind you that my favorite panel is the one geared to book clubs: Book Group Speed Dating, presented by Reading Group Guides.

During the session, representatives from the major publishing companies and imprints present their top recommendations for readers looking for the perfect book club selection. Here are just some of the books I learned about (with my summary) and my top pick from each presentation (with the publisher's summary). Stop back tomorrow for book club suggestions from four more publishers.

Bloomsbury USA

• The Blue between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa: four generations of Palestinian woman who were separated in exodus and then reunited; political, women's issues, Mideast

Sweet Caress by William Boyd: 1920s–1940s, war, a woman photographer; women's issues, sexuality, choices:

Born into Edwardian England, Amory's first memory is of her father standing on his head. She has memories of him returning on leave during the First World War. But his absences, both actual and emotional, are what she chiefly remembers. It is her photographer uncle Greville who supplies the emotional bond she needs, who, when he gives her a camera and some rudimentary lessons in photography, unleashes a passion that will irrevocably shape her future.A spell at boarding school ends abruptly and Amory begins an apprenticeship with Greville in London, photographing socialites for the magazine "Beau Monde." But Amory is hungry for more and her search for life, love, and artistic expression will take her to the "demi monde" of Berlin of the late '20s, to New York of the '30s, to the blackshirt riots in London, and to France in the Second World War where she becomes one of the first women war photographers. Her desire for experience will lead Amory to further wars, to lovers, husbands, and children as she continues to pursue her dreams and battle her demons.

In this enthralling story of a life fully lived, illustrated with "found" period photographs, William Boyd has created a sweeping panorama of some of the most defining moments of modern history, told through the camera lens of one unforgettable woman, Amory Clay. It is his greatest achievement to date.

Grove / Atlantic

• The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly: British domestic thriller, murder; would you really do anything to get out debt and provide for your children?
• Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer: gritty, thriller; medical student with Asperger's taking gross anatomy thinks he's uncovered a murder

Coming of Age at the End of Days by Alice LaPlante: suspense; psychology of teen depression; what happens when a young girl finds solace in a questionable place:

Alice LaPlante's acclaimed psychological thrillers are distinguished by their stunning synthesis of family drama and engrossing suspense. Her new novel is an affecting foray deeper into the creases of family life and the light-and-dark battle of faith as LaPlante delves into the barbed psyche of a teenager whose misguided convictions bear irrevocable consequences.

Never one to conform, Anna always had trouble fitting in. Earnest and willful, as a young girl she quickly learned how to hide her quirks from her parents and friends. But when, at sixteen, a sudden melancholia takes hold of her life, she loses her sense of self and purpose. Then the Goldschmidts move in next door. They're active members of a religious cult, and Anna is awestruck by both their son, Lars, and their fervent violent prophecies for the Tribulation at the End of Days. Within months, Anna's life her family, her home, her very identity will undergo profound changes. But when her newfound beliefs threaten to push her over the edge, she must find her way back to center with the help of unlikely friends. An intimate story of destruction and renewal, New York Times bestselling author LaPlante delivers a haunting exploration of family legacies, devotion, and tangled relationships.

Ingram Publisher Services

• Married Sex by Jessie Kornbluth: a divorce lawyer, who has seen marriage at its worst, makes a decision to change up his own marriage, with broad-reaching consequences
• Red Eggs and Good Luck by Angela Lam: memoir that explores the author's dual identity as half German and half Chinese; poetic prose

Wendy Darling by Colleen Oakes: a reimagining of Peter Pan; Wendy's story told as a modern urban fantasy; start of a series:

Wendy Darling takes readers far beyond the second star to the right and straight on till morning. It is the story of a girl loved by two men the steady and handsome bookseller's son from London and Peter Pan, dashing, charming, and dangerous. From the cobblestone streets of London to the fantastical world of Neverland's many secrets, readers will love watching Wendy's journey as she grows from a girl into a woman, and realizes that Neverland, like her heart, is a wild place, teaming with dark secrets and dangerous obsessions.

Harlequin Mira

• Come Away with Me by Karma Brown: debut novel about a woman who loses her baby in a car accident and must find a way to once again embrace life
• The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine by Alex Brunkhorst: contemporary story with a Gatsby-like feel; Hollywood, forbidden love

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman: debut epic fantasy based on Alexander the Great at age sixteen; this is young adult and the start of a series:

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains, and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedon's sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world, but finds himself drawn to a newcomer. Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life, while keeping hidden her own mission: kill the queen. But she doesn't account for her first love. Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means competing with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander's unmet fiancee, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

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BEA 2015: Must-Reads from HarperCollins

Over the next few days I'm going to be talking about books I learned about at this year's Book Expo America (BEA). I'll have a book club post or two and at least one post highlighting my favorite discoveries from walking the floor of the Javits.

As you know, I'm a big supporter of the Harper Perennial and Ecco imprints; today, however, I feature nine HarperCollins imprints and list a sampling of some of the books their publicists are excited about this year. In the following, you'll find everything from nonfiction to women's lit; historical fiction to memoir.

For each imprint, I've listed a few of the recent and upcoming titles (with my own description) and then post the book cover and publisher's summary for my top pick.

Harper

• The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: epic fantasy; this second in a planned trilogy continues the adventures of one tough, smart young woman; Kelsea is a super heroine and I loved the first book.
• The Race for Paris by Meg Waite: historical fiction; based on the true story of a woman photographer who documented the liberation of Paris during World War II.
• The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr: nonfiction; a treatise on how the author overcame her struggles with this form; advice on finding your own voice

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee: fiction; who isn't looking forward to this surprise second book by Lee? There are no galleys, so we must wait for July:

An historic literary event: the publication of a newly discovered novel, the earliest known work from Harper Lee, the beloved, bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Originally written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014.

Go Set a Watchman features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch, Scout, struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her.

Exploring how the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are adjusting to the turbulent events transforming mid-1950s America, Go Set a Watchman casts a fascinating new light on Harper Lee's enduring classic. Moving, funny and compelling, it stands as a magnificent novel in its own right.

Ecco

• The Girl from the Garden by Parnaz Forutan: contemporary fiction; told from the point of view of an elderly Jewish woman living in Los Angeles, who recalls her childhood in Iran and the events that tore apart her family.
• Undermajordomo Minor by Patick deWitt: mixed genres, fiction; part mystery, part love story, part adventure this novel tells the story of Lucien Minor's journey from outcast to a life in a castle and the secrets he lays bare.

Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash: fiction; I've liked everything by Rash that I've read and am looking forward this edgy novel:

In this poetic and haunting tale set in contemporary Appalachia, New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash illuminates lives shaped by violence and a powerful connection to the land.

Les, a long-time sheriff just three-weeks from retirement, contends with the ravages of crystal meth and his own duplicity in his small Appalachian town.

Becky, a park ranger with a harrowing past, finds solace amid the lyrical beauty of this patch of North Carolina.

Enduring the mistakes and tragedies that have indelibly marked them, they are drawn together by a reverence for the natural world. When an irascible elderly local is accused of poisoning a trout stream, Les and Becky are plunged into deep and dangerous waters, forced to navigate currents of disillusionment and betrayal that will force them to question themselves and test their tentative bond--and threaten to carry them over the edge.

Avon

• The Match of the Century by Cathy Maxwell: historical romance; a light, funny new series featuring a woman who's attracted to two brothers, one respectable and the other a highwayman.

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas: historical romance; although I'm not a romance reader, Kleypas has to be my top pick because she has such an enormous fan base; no galleys for this much-anticipated fall book:

A twist of fate . . .

Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.

A clash of wills . . .

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she's ever known?

Harper Voyager

• Zer0es by Chuck Wendg: technological thriller; hackers around the world are given the choice of jail time or using their skills to help the government
• A Crucible of Souls by Mitchell Hogan: epic fantasy; first in a series; a orphan raised in a monastery leaves the monks to apprentice with the sorcerers guild; a tale of good vs. evil.

Departure by A. G. Riddle: fantasy, thriller; has been compared to Lost, this novel involves time travel, a mystery, and a plane crash; the movie rights have been bought:

Harper Lane has problems. In a few hours, she'll have to make a decision that will change her life forever. But when her flight from New York to London crash-lands in the English countryside, she discovers that she's made of tougher stuff than she ever imagined.

As Harper and the survivors of Flight 305 struggle to stay alive in the aftermath of the crash, they soon realize that this world is very different from the one they left. Their lives are connected, and some believe they've been brought here for a reason.

In addition to Harper, several other passengers seem to hold clues about why Flight 305 crashed. There's:

Nick Stone, an American on his way to a meeting with The Gibraltar Project, an international group dedicated to building a dam across the Strait of Gibraltar and draining the Mediterranean. . . .

With time running out to save the survivors of Flight 305, Harper and Nick race to unravel the conspiracy that crashed their plane. As they put the pieces together, they discover that their decisions have already doomed one world and will soon determine the future of ours.

Harper Perennial

• Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor: paranormal; based on a popular podcast; think Prairie Home Companion meets Twin Peaks; mysterious happenings in the American southwest.
• Paulina & Fran by Rachel B. Glaser: literary fiction; two women who meet in art school begin a lifelong competitive friendship; sexy, funny, angsty.
• The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo: literary fiction; a down-and-out woman returns to her Oklahoma roots to claim an inheritance; small-town quirkiness, smart, sweet, funny.

The Social Sex by Marilyn Yalom: nonfiction; should be a fascinating look at women's friendships and social trends throughout the ages:

In today's culture, the bonds of female friendship are taken as a given. But only a few centuries ago, the idea of female friendship was completely unacknowledged, even pooh-poohed. Only men, the reasoning went, had the emotional and intellectual depth to develop and sustain these meaningful relationships.

Surveying history, literature, philosophy, religion, and pop culture, acclaimed author and historian Marilyn Yalom and co-author Theresa Donovan Brown demonstrate how women were able to co-opt the public face of friendship throughout the years. Chronicling shifting attitudes toward friendship both female and male from the Bible and the Romans to the Enlightenment to the women's rights movements of the 60s up to Sex and the City and Bridesmaids, they reveal how the concept of female friendship has been inextricably linked to the larger social and cultural movements that have defined human history.

Armed with Yalom and Brown as our guides, we delve into the fascinating historical episodes and trends that illuminate the story of friendship between women: the literary salon as the original book club, the emergence of female professions and the working girl, the phenomenon of gossip, the advent of women's sports, and more.

Harper 360

• It's about Love by Steven Camden: by a spoken-word poet; a first-year college student on the brink of manhood; experimental.
• Art in the Blood by Bonnie MacBird: historical mystery; a new Sherlock Holmes mystery written in the classic style; murder and art theft in Paris

Goddess by Kelly Gardiner: historical fiction; based on the true story of a 17th-century opera singer turned swordswoman turned nun:

A sparkling, witty and compelling novel based on the tragic rise and fall of the beautiful seventeenth century swordswoman and opera singer, Julie d'Aubigny (also known as La Maupin), a woman whose story is too remarkable to be true--and yet it is.

Versailles, 1686: Julie d'Aubigny, a striking young girl taught to fence and fight in the court of the Sun King, is taken as mistress by the King's Master of Horse. tempestuous, swashbuckling and volatile, within two years she has run away with her fencing master, fallen in love with a nun and is hiding from the authorities, sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Within another year, she has become a beloved star at the famed Paris Opera. Her lovers include some of Europe's most powerful men and France's most beautiful women. Yet Julie is destined to die alone in a convent at the age of 33.

Dey Street

• Almost Interesting by David Spade: memoir; not ghost written; the actor recalls his life so far; funny, good, real.

The Way Around by David Good: memoir; the son of an anthropologist and an Amazon tribeswoman reconnects with his mother and struggles with his self-identity:

Rooted in two vastly different cultures, a young man struggles to understand himself, find his place in the world, and reconnect with his mother—and her remote tribe in the deepest jungles of the Amazon rainforest—in this powerful memoir that combines adventure, history, and anthropology. . . .

For much of his young life, David Good was torn between two vastly different worlds. The son of an American anthropologist and a tribeswoman from a distant part of the Amazon, it took him twenty years to embrace his identity, reunite with the mother who left him when he was six, and claim his heritage.

The Way Around is Good’s amazing chronicle of self-discovery. Moving from the wilds of the Amazonian jungle to the paved confines of suburban New Jersey and back, it is the story of his parents, his American scientist-father and his mother who could not fully adapt to the Western lifestyle. Good writes sympathetically about his mother’s abandonment and the deleterious effect it had on his young self; of his rebellious teenage years marked by depression and drinking, and the near-fatal car accident that transformed him and gave him purpose to find a way back to his mother. . . .

Morrow Paperbacks

• Orphan Number Eight by Kim van Alkemade: historical fiction; based on true events; a young girl is sent to a Jewish orphanage and is subjected to medical experiments; later in life she has a chance for revenge--will she take it?
• The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick: women's fiction; features three sisters, healers, folk lore, a curse, and a witch hunt; think Practical Magic or Witches of East End.

Everything She Forgot by Lisa Ballantyne: psychological thriller; a woman is saved from a car crash by mysterious stranger:

Driving home, Margaret Holloway is rear-ended and trapped in the wreckage of her car. Just as she begins to panic, a stranger pulls her free and disappears. Though she escapes with minor injuries, Margaret feels that something's wrong. Flashbacks to the crash are dredging up lost associations from her childhood. And somehow, Margaret knows that it's got something to do with the man who saved her life. As Margaret uncovers a mystery with chilling implications for her family and her very identity, Everything She Forgot winds through a riveting dual narrative and asks the question: How far would you go to hide the truth-from yourself?

William Morrow

• Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickam: historical fiction; set in the 1930s, tells the story of a thousand-mile road trip a family takes to return their pet alligator to Florida; madcap, charming.
•  The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan: contemporary fiction; a hospice nurse dividing her time between her primary patient, who is a World War II veteran, and her husband, who has returned from Iraq with post-traumatic stress syndrome

Darkness the Color of Snow by Thomas Cobb: suspense; a routine cop pullover that goes terribly wrong:

. . . [A]n electrifying crime drama and psychological thriller in which a young cop becomes the focal point for a community's grief and rage in the aftermath of a tragic accident.

Out on a rural highway on a cold, icy night, Patrolman Ronny Forbert sits in his cruiser trying to keep warm and make time pass until his shift ends. Then a familiar beater Jeep Cherokee comes speeding over a hill, forcing the rookie cop to chase after it. The driver is his old friend turned nemesis, Matt Laferiere, the rogue son of a man as beaten down as the town itself.

Within minutes, what begins as a clear-cut arrest for drunk driving spirals out of control into a heated argument between two young men with a troubled past and ends in a fatal hit and run on an icy stretch of blacktop.

As the news spreads around town, Police Chief Gordy Hawkins remains certain that Ronny Forbert followed the rules, at least most of them, and he's willing to stand by the young cop. But a few manipulative people in town see opportunity in the tragedy. As uneasy relationships, dark secrets, and old grievances reveal themselves, the people of this small, tightly woven community decide that a crime must have been committed, and someone--Officer Ronny Forbert--must pay a price, a choice that will hold devastating consequences for them all.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: The Pre-BEA Edition

Stacked-Up Book Thoughts are my random notes about books I've read, movies I've watched, books I'm looking forward to, and events I hope to get to.

BEA: Of course, the biggest event in my near future is attending Book Expo America (BEA) in New York this coming week. I'm making a quick trip out of this year for a number of reasons. Unfortunately, that means I won't have time to see friends and relatives who live in the city and I'm worried that I'll even miss seeing some of you.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to learning about all the books and meeting up with publicists and authors. I plan to write several posts, so you'll be able to make your wish list grow as big as mine will. I'm also very excited to have the opportunity to be on a panel at the Audio Publishers Association Conference. The title of session will give you an idea of what we'll be talking about: "How to Build Relationships & Work with Reviewers to Secure Coverage." I can't wait to share ideas.

What I've Read or Am Reading: May was the slowest reading month I've had in . . . well, could it be ever? I managed to finish a few books here and there, some of which I've already written about. Here's an indication of how bad a reader I've become: The new Fables came out, arrived at my home, and has still not been opened! I'm hoping to read it today, if I get my laundry and packing finished (see BEA, above). Fables: Happily Ever After by Bill Willingham will focus on Fabletown and the split between sisters Snow White and Red Rose. Should be good. One of my favorite food writers has a new book coming out in June, and I've just barely stared it. Susan Herrmann Loomis's In a French Kitchen is all about how the French manage to put together lovely, fresh, nutritious daily meals and still find the time to do all the other things normal people have to deal with in the modern world. Put this on your list. Another book I've got going is Elijah Wald's Dylan Goes Electric (I'm not sure why, but I really don't love the title). Even the introduction had me thinking and reevaluating Dylan, Pete Seeger, Newport, and the whole folk scene of my youth. (Bonus: If you like Dave van Ronk, be sure to read Wald's Mayor of MacDougal Street.)

What I've Listened to or Am Listening to: I've gotten very little listening time in because I've been around family and friends a lot over the last weeks. This is a good thing, but it makes it a little difficult to put my earbuds in. Plus rainy days have kept me from my walks. Enough of the excuses already! David Joy's Where All Light Tends to Go (read by MacLeod Andrews) is a kind of gritty coming-of-age story set in North Carolina. The audio production was well done, but I'm still processing the novel itself--I'm not completely sure what I thought. Sarah McCoy's The Mapmaker's Children (read by Abby Craden, Cassandra Campbell, and Jane Jacobs) is about two women who spend time in the same house but in two very different historical periods. Despite living in different centuries, they share some of the same sorrows and troubles. Don't miss this one. I've just started Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop (read by Steve West, Emma Bering, and Cassandra Campbell). Oh how I love the bookstore on a barge, the references to both classic and modern literature, and the way Monsieur Perdu knows just what book will heal his customers. I can't wait to see where this story takes me.

Note on this week: I'm going light this week! Look for a photo on Wednesday and a Weekend Cooking post on Saturday. I'll be back to my regularly scheduled program next week, with lots of bookish talk from New York.

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BEA 2014: What's Hot at HarperCollins

Last week I talked about the BEA book group session (part 1 & part 2) in which representatives from a number of publishers presented their top recommendations. I purposely left off the HarperCollins imprints because I wanted to talk about them in their own post.

As you know, I'm a big supporter of the Harper Perennial and Ecco imprints; today, however, I feature eight HarperCollins imprints and list a sampling of some of the books their publicists are excited about this year. In the following, you'll find everything from nonfiction to romance; literary fiction to urban fantasy.

For each imprint, I've listed a few of the recent and upcoming titles (with my own description) and then post the book cover and publisher's summary for my top pick.

Harper

• Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix Christie: historical fiction set in mid-15th-century Germany; about the first printing of a book and the launching of the business of publishing
• Us by David Nicholls: literary fiction; after 30 years of marriage a man is surprised to learn his wife may leave him; at the same time he realizes he barely knows his almost-grown son; is it too late to save his relationship with his family?
• Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbot: historical fiction set during the U.S. Civil War; the story of four women who spied for their side during the war; based on firsthand accounts.

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: fantasy; this first in an epic fantasy trilogy has already been picked up to be a movie starring Emma Watson. From the publisher's summary:

Magic, adventure, mystery, and romance combine in this epic debut in which a young princess must reclaim her dead mother's throne, learn to be a ruler--and defeat the Red Queen, a powerful and malevolent sorceress determined to destroy her.

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. . . .

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. . . .

Ecco

• The Angel of Losses by Stephanie Feldman: modern folk tale; a young woman going through her late-grandfather's papers discovers a Jewish legend, family secrets, and the key to saving her sister from a fate set in motion centuries earlier.
• The Miniaturist by Ivy Pochoda: historical fiction set in late-17th-century Amsterdam; a young women gets in over her head when she seeks a craftsman to make furnishings for her beautiful miniature house; themes of secrets, love, greed, and betrayal; has a creepy aspect

Rooms by Lauren Oliver: fiction; what happens when three relatives inherit a haunted house; family drama. From the publisher's summary:

Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results. . . .

Avon/Voyager

• What I Love about You by Rachel Gibson: romance; steamy hot about ex-Navy SEAL twins and the beautiful women they meet.
• The Getaway God by Richard Kadry: noir paranormal adventure; sixth in the Sandman Slim series; our hero must save LA from the wrath of the evil gods; witty.

The Witch with No Name by Kim Harrison: urban fantasy; the end of her series; I haven't read all of these yet, but this is a fun, smart, and sexy series involving a number of different types of creatures. From the publisher's summary:

Rachel Morgan has come a long way from her early days as an inexperienced bounty hunter. She's faced vampires and werewolves, banshees, witches, and soul-eating demons. She's crossed worlds, channeled gods, and accepted her place as a day-walking demon. She's lost friends and lovers and family, and an old enemy has unexpectedly become something much more.

But power demands responsibility, and world-changers must always pay a price. Rachel has known that this day would come--and now it is here.

To save Ivy's soul and the rest of the living vampires, to keep the demonic ever after and our own world from destruction, Rachel Morgan will risk everything.

Harper Perennial

• Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman: contemporary woman's fiction; a young woman puts her marriage plans on hold after her mother dies and she must travel to rural Georgia to put the estate in order; charming but smart Southern fiction
• Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay: essay, memoir; these essays and short pieces focus on contemporary feminism, culture, and politics.

This Is the Water by Yannick Murphy: fiction, thriller; from the author of The Call; a killer is targeting a New England high school swim team. From the publisher's summary:

In a quiet New England community members of swim team and their dedicated parents are preparing for a home meet. The most that Annie, a swim-mom of two girls, has to worry about is whether or not she fed her daughters enough carbs the night before; why her husband, Thomas, hasn't kissed her in ages; and why she can't get over the loss of her brother who shot himself a few years ago.

But Annie's world is about to change. From the bleachers, looking down at the swimmers, a dark haired man watches a girl. No one notices him. . . .

When a girl on the team is murdered at a nearby highway rest stop . . . the parents suddenly find themselves adrift. . . .

With a serial killer now too close for comfort, Annie and her fellow swim-parents must make choices about where their loyalties lie. As a series of startling events unfold, Annie discovers what it means to follow your intuition, even if love, as well as lives, could be lost.

Harper 360

• Here's Looking at You by Mhairi McFarlane: contemporary fiction; an ugly duckling story loosely based on Pride & Prejudice from a Scottish author.

The Qualities of Wood by Mary Vensel White: mystery/thriller; set in the American Midwest, this is novel about a murder and secrets of all kinds. From the publisher's summary:

When Betty Gardiner dies, leaving behind an unkempt country home, her grandson and his young wife take a break from city life to prepare the house for sale. Nowell Gardiner leaves first to begin work on his second mystery novel. By the time his wife Vivian joins him, a real mystery has begun: a local girl has been found dead in the woods behind the house. Even after the death is ruled an accident, Vivian can't forget the girl, can't ignore the strange behaviour of her neighbours, or her husband. As Vivian attempts to put the house in order, all around her things begin to fall apart.

Dey Street

• Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming: autobiography; the story of his life and how his self-perception was changed when, as an adult, he discovered his father wasn't in fact his real father.
• My Drunk Kitchen by Hannah Hart: food and cooking; by an accidental YouTube star; food, cooking, drinking, and good advice about life.

All or Nothing by Jesse Schenker: food writing, memoir; how the author went from a down-and-out druggie to being a successful chef and owner of two New York restaurants. From the publisher's summary:

Growing up in wealthy suburban Florida, Jesse was introduced to the culinary world, and the world of hard drugs. Becoming a high school dropout addicted to heroin and crack, he was alienated from his family and wanted by the cops. By twenty-one, he had robbed, cheated, and lied to everyone in his life. . . . His eventual arrest motivated him to get clean.

Jesse learned to channel his obsessiveness and need to get ever "higher" into his career. But his growing success fueled his anxiety, leading to panic attacks and hypochondria. In this startling and down to earth memoir, Jesse lays it all on the table for the first time, reflecting on his insatiable appetite for the extreme--which has led to his biggest triumphs and failures--and shares the shocking story of his turbulent life.

Morrow Paperbacks

• Butternut Summer by Mary McNear: contemporary woman's fiction: a mother-daughter story that takes place in a small Minnesota town filled with quirky characters; some love; good summer reading.
• G.I. Brides by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi: nonfiction; focuses four British women who married U.S. soldiers and moved to America to find a new life far from their families.

What Strange Creatures by Emily Arsenault: literary thriller, a PhD student must save her brother who she believes was falsely accused of murder. From the publisher's summary:

The Battle siblings are used to disappointment. Seven years, one marriage and divorce, three cats, and a dog later, Theresa still hasn't finished her dissertation. . . .

Jeff, her so-called genius older brother, doesn't have it together, either. Creative, and loyal, he's also aimless in work and love. But his new girlfriend, Kim, a pretty waitress in her twenties, appears smitten.

When Theresa agrees to dog-sit Kim's puggle for a weekend, she has no idea that it is the beginning of a terrifying nightmare that will shatter her quiet world. Soon, Kim's body will be found in the woods, and Jeff will become the prime suspect.

. . . Investigating the dead woman's past, Theresa uncovers a treacherous secret involving politics, murder, and scandal--and becomes entangled in a potentially dangerous romance. But the deeper she falls into this troubling case, the more it becomes clear that, in trying to save her brother's life, she may be sacrificing her own.

William Morrow

• The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank: contemporary women's fiction; smart beach reading; three generations of women face life changes during hurricane season in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
•  A Deadly Wandering by Matt Richtel: nonfiction; starting with a true-life deadly accident involving texting and driving, the author examines the effects of modern technology on our young people and their inability to focus attention on a single task

The Season of the Dragonflies by Sara Creech: contemporary fiction with a magical touch; set in Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the story involves sisters, flowers, perfume and a little practical magic. From the publisher's summary:

For generations, the Lenore women have manufactured a perfume unlike any other, and guarded the unique and mysterious ingredients. Their perfumery, hidden in the quiet rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, creates one special elixir that secretly sells for millions of dollars to the world's most powerful. . . .

Willow, the coolly elegant Lenore family matriarch, is the brains behind the company. Her gorgeous, golden-haired daughter Mya is its heart. Like her foremothers, she can "read" scents and envision their power. Willow's younger daughter, dark-haired, soulful Lucia, claims no magical touch, nor does she want any part of the family business. She left the mountains years ago to make her own way. But trouble is brewing. Willow is experiencing strange spells of forgetfulness. Mya is plotting a coup. A client is threatening blackmail. And most ominously, the unique flowers used in their perfume are dying.

Whoever can save the company will inherit it. . . .

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