Prepub Alert

Cornwell, Patricia. Predator: A Scarpetta Novel. Putnam. Nov. 2005. 432p. ISBN 0-399-15283-0. $26.95. Now at Florida's National Forensic Academy, Dr. Kay Scarpetta is too busy to enjoy the sun: a nasty villain has burst forth.

Deveraux, Jude. First Impressions. Atria: S. & S. Nov. 2005. 352p. ISBN 0-7434-3714-4. $25.95; lrg. prnt. ISBN 0-7434-8618-8. $27.95. Cassette/CD: S. & S. Audio. With her daughter happily married, fortyish single mom Eden decides to seek her own happiness in small-town North Carolina—and instead finds trouble.

Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Novels. Norton. Nov. 2005. 992p. ISBN 0-393-05800-X. $59.95; until 2/1/06, $49.95. A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskerilles, and The Valley of Fear, all together in one slipcased package with 1000 new notes, 350 illustrations, and more. Should you buy? It's elementary, my dear librarian.

Hamill, Pete. The Gift. Little, Brown. Nov. 2005. 160p. ISBN 0-316-01189-4. $16.95. Back for the holidays, a long-unavailable 1973 novel about a young sailor's formative experience in the Fifties.

Hannah, Kristin. Comfort and Joy. Ballantine. Nov. 2005. 288p. ISBN 0-345-48367-7. $15.95. Divorced Joy finds comfort in her new hometown, Rain Valley, but still has a crisis on Christmas Eve: Can she really abandon her past?

Iweala, Uzodinma. Beasts of No Nation. HarperCollins. Nov. 2005. 128p. ISBN 0-06-079867-X. $16.95. Educated at Harvard, where his writing won a number of prizes, the Nigerian-born Iweala breaks our hearts with the story (all too realistic) of a child soldier in Africa. One of HarperCollins's top picks for the fall.

Karon, Jan. Light from Heaven. Viking. Nov. 2005. 384p. ISBN 0-670-03453-3. $26.95. Cassette/CD: Penguin Audio. Can Father Tim save an abandoned mountaintop church? Is this a "Mitford Years" novel? Karon wraps up her popular series with this work—but look for a new series starring Father Tim. With a five-city tour.

McNaught, Judith. Every Breath You Take. Ballantine. Nov. 2005. 512p. ISBN 0-345-47990-4. $25.95; lrg. prnt. ISBN 0-345-43482-8. $25.95. Cassette/CD: Random Audio. Oops! Kate has a fling with darkly attractive millionaire Mitchell Wyatt, then finds out that she (like her paramour) is suspected of murder.

Martin, George R.R. A Feast for Crows. Spectra: Bantam. Nov. 2005. 768p. ISBN 0-553-80150-3. $28. CD: Random Audio. First previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ5/15/03, the fourth book in Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series finally arrives.

Patterson, James. Mary, Mary. Little, Brown. Nov. 2005. 400p. ISBN 0-316-15976-X. $27.95. A serial killer calling herself Mary Smith has it in for Hollywood stars—and emails blistering descriptions of their death to the editor of the Los Angeles Times. Looks like a case for Alex Cross.

Perry, Anne. A Christmas Guest. Ballantine. Nov. 2005. 208p. ISBN 0-345-48380-4. $16.95. Remember Grandmama from Perry's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series? This holiday season, she's solving a murder of her own.

Rice, Anne. Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. Knopf. Nov. 2005. 352p. ISBN 0-375-41201-8. $25.95; lrg. prnt. Random. ISBN 0-375-72844-9. $28.95. Cassette/CD: Random Audio. Having wrapped up her work on vampires and witches, Rice turns to something a bit more… orthodox? Evidently based on New Testament scholarship; with a ten-city tour.

Robinson, Kim Stanley. Fifty Degrees Below. Spectra: Bantam. Nov. 2005. 384p. ISBN 0-553-80312-3. $25. In this latest from multi-award-winning sf writer Robinson, politicians and business sorts are in deep denial even as global warming leads us inevitably (if ironically) toward a new Ice Age.

Rucka, Greg. Private Wars. Bantam. Oct. 2005. 368p. ISBN 0-553-80277-1. $24. Spymistress Tara Chase returns from A Gentleman's Gameto fight again—this time rescuing a colleague's husband and son from chaotic Uzbekistan.

Steel, Danielle. Toxic Bachelors. Delacorte. Nov. 2005. 336p. ISBN 0-385-33827-9. $27; lrg. prnt. Random. ISBN 0-375-43540-9. $29. Cassette/CD: Random Audio. Three eligible but resistant bachelor buddies—philanthropist Charlie, celeb lawyer Adam, and artist Gray—are about to find true love.

Turow, Scott. Ordinary Heroes. Farrar. Nov. 2005. 320p. ISBN 0-374-18421-6. [ISBN 978-0-374-18421-6]. $25. Not the usual legal thrills one has come to expect from Turow: here, Stewart Dubinsky discovers that his deceased war-hero father was actually court-martialed after his assignment to hunt down an out-of-control OSS officer lands him in trouble at the Battle of the Bulge.

Van Liere, Donna. The Christmas Hope. St. Martin's. Nov. 2005. 206p. ISBN 0-312-33450-8. [ISBN 978-0-312-33450-5]. $14.95. CD: Audio Renaissance. Van Liere adds a third title to her "Christmas Hope" series with the story of a couple who find meaning restored to the holiday by a needy five-year-old.

Armstrong, Karen. A Short History of Myth. 176p. ISBN 1-84195-716-X.
Atwood, Margaret. The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus. 192p. ISBN 1-84195-717-8.
Winterson, Jeanette. Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles. 192p. ISBN 1-84195-718-6. ea. vol: Canongate, dist. by Grove Atlantic. Nov. 2005. $18. Conceived by Canongate publisher Jamie Byng and launched this year by 30 publishers worldwide, this series will offer the retelling of favorite myths by leading authors from A.S. Byatt to Donna Tartt. Armstrong weighs in with a concise (and, one suspects, insightful) history. Byng expects the final volume to appear in 2038.

Bobrick, Benson. The Fated Sky: Astrology in History. S. & S. Nov. 2005. 384p. ISBN 0-7432-2482-5. $26. It's in the stars: Bobrick, acclaimed as a historian and winner of the Literature Award of the Academy of Arts and Letters, can tell us how and why astrology has been so influential.

Borges, Jorge Luis. The Book of Imaginary Beings. Viking. Nov. 2005. 256p. ISBN 0-670-89180-0. $25.95. A new translation of Borges's compendium of fantastical creatures familiar from Homer, Shakespeare, Kafka—and Harry Potter.

Brandreth, Gyles. Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage. Norton. Nov. 2005. 416p. ISBN 0-393-06113-2. $27.95. No anonymous sources here: novelist/biographer Brandreth reputedly had privileged access to the royal couple whilst crafting their story.

Bronson, Po. Why Do I Love These People?: The True Story of Families Who Overcame Their Struggles. Random. Nov. 2005. 400p. ISBN 1-4000-6237-3. $24.95. The author of What Should I Do with My Life? asks a different question, trying to discover how families survive tragedy.

Carter, Jimmy. Our Endangered Values: America's Crisis. S. & S. Nov. 2005. 256p. ISBN 0-7432-8457-7. $25. Cassette/CD: S. & S. Audio. Our 39th President tells us how he feels about issues like terrorism, civil liberties, the death penalty, and abortion. With a seven-city tour.

Chekhov, Anton. The Complete Plays. Norton. Nov. 2005. 992p. ISBN 0-393-04885-3. $39.95. Curl up in your cherry orchard with this new translation, which puts all of Chekhov's available drama into a single volume.

Chesler, Phyllis. The Death of Feminism. Palgrave. Nov. 2005. 256p. ISBN 1-4039-6898-5. $24.95.Chesler argues that feminism must allow contradiction and dissent—before it's too late.

Damrosch, Leo. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius. Houghton. Nov. 2005. 480p. ISBN 0-618-44696-6. $30. A Harvard professor reintroduces us to the philosopher/ reformer.

Darwin, Charles. From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books. Norton. Nov. 2005. 1504p. ISBN 0-393-06134-5. $49.95. Looking for Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, or The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals? You'll find them all here, with an intro by Edward O. Wilson, who will tour.

Davis, Kenneth C. Don't Know Much About® Mythology: Everything You Need To Know About the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never Learned. HarperCollins. Nov. 2005. 496p. ISBN 0-06-019460-X. $26.95. Get prepped for Canongate's new series, previewed above. From the best-selling author who knows everything.

Dreyfuss, Robert. Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam. Metropolitan: Holt. Nov. 2005. 320p. ISBN 0-8050-7652-2. $26. Having dug through the files, Washington-based journalist/commentator Dreyfuss argues that for 60 years the U.S. government (and the banks) supported Islamic fundamentalists as a hedge against communism—and now we're stuck with the terrorists.

Eisner, Will. The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue. Norton. Nov. 2005. 544p. ISBN 0-393-06105-1. $35. Now is your chance to read the famed Eisner trilogy that started the graphic novel craze back in 1978.

Eldredge, Niles. Darwin: Discovering the Tree of Life. Norton. Nov. 2005. 288p. ISBN 0-393-05966-9. $35. Darwin's 200th birthday takes place in 2009, and this November the American Museum of Natural History launches its celebration early with a big exhibit. Curator Eldredge offers the first toast.

Fisk, Robert. The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East. Knopf. Nov. 2005. 960p. ISBN 1-4000-4151-1. $35. The Independent's Middle East correspondent for nearly 30 years, and much celebrated for his efforts, Fisk has plenty to tell us about life in the world's most tumultuous region. With a three-city tour.

Foner, Eric. Forever Free: The Story of Emancipation and Reconstruction. Knopf. Nov. 2005. 304p. ISBN 0-375-40259-4. $27.50. Having won awards for Reconstructionin 1988, Columbia history professor Foner uses new research (and vintage photos) to tell the story even better this time 'round. With a three-city tour.

Franklin, John Hope. Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin. Farrar. Nov. 2005. 384p. ISBN 0-374-29944-7. [ISBN 978-0-374-29944-6]. $25. From segregated classroom to Duke University professor, with service to Presidents ranging from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton along the way.

Frazier, Ian. Gone to New York. Farrar. Nov. 2005. 224p. ISBN 0-374-28163-7. [ISBN 978-0-374-28163-2]. $22. The Bronx is up, the Battery's down, and New Yorkercontributor Frazier is more likely to profile the funky little spots (and people) in between as he tours this grand city.

Fredston, Jill. Snowstruck: In the Grip of Avalanches. Harcourt. Nov. 2005. 288p. ISBN 0-15-101249-0. $24. Codirector of the Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Fredston certainly has stories to tell about the many avalanches she's seen. With an eight-city tour.

Gosnell, Mariana. Ice: The Nature, the History, and the Uses of This Astonishing Substance. Knopf. Nov. 2005. 512p. ISBN 0-679-42608-6. $30. From glaciers to cubes, it's everywhere—ice covers ten percent of the land and seven percent of the oceans. A former Newsweekscience journalist considers the frosty stuff in all its possibilities.

Grogan, John. Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog. Morrow. Nov. 2005. 288p. ISBN 0-06-081708-9. $21.95; lrg. prnt. ISBN 0-06-083398-X. $23.95. CD: HarperAudio. Okay, maybe he chewed things and ran into screen doors, but Marley also taught Philadelphia Inquirercolumnist Grogan the meaning of love. Morrow's big hit at BEA.

Harr, Jonathan. The Lost Painting. Random. Nov. 2005. 288p. ISBN 0-375-50801-5. $24.95. The author of A Civil Actionhere offers a very different kind of investigation: he tells the story of art student Francesca Cappelletti's efforts to track down a Caravaggio painting missing for 200 years.

Hunter, Stephen & John Bainbridge Jr. American Gunfight: The Plot To Kill Harry Truman. S. & S. Nov. 2005. 320p. ISBN 0-7432-6068-6. $26. Novelist/film critic Hunter, along with Baltimore Sunjournalist Bainbridge, brings cinematic flair to this investigation of the 1950 attempt by Puerto Rican nationalists to assassinate Truman.

Kaplan, Jonathan. Contact Wounds: A War Surgeon's Education. Grove. Nov. 2005. 416p. ISBN 0-8021-1800-3. $25. Once the only surgeon serving 160,000 people in war-torn Angola, Kaplan here travels from The Dressing Stationto volunteer service as a surgeon in Baghdad.

Kennedy, Kimberly. Wickedly Perfect. Atria: S. & S. Nov. 2005. 304p. ISBN 0-7432-7835-6. $26. Reality-show winner Kennedy tells us how to be Wickedly Perfect. Another Martha in the making?

Korda, Margaret & Michael Korda. Cat People. HarperCollins. Nov. 2005. 160p. ISBN 0-06-075663-2. $22.95. Book person, horse person? Now, thanks to his wife, S. & S. editor in chief Michael Korda has become a cat person as well.

Lightman, Alan. The Discoveries: The Great Breakthroughs in 20th-Century Science. Pantheon. Nov. 2005. 640p. ISBN 0-375-42168-8. $32.50. Novelist/MIT humanities professor Lightman takes time out from his busy schedule to describe the major scientific discoveries of the last 100 years. With a four-city tour.

McCourt, Frank. Teacher Man. Scribner. Nov. 2005. 352p. ISBN 0-7432-4377-3. $26. The phenomenally best-selling author on the value of teaching—and the value of storytelling in teaching. With a bigtour.

Moore, James P., Jr. One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America. Doubleday. Nov. 2005. 528p. ISBN 0-385-50403-9. $29.95. Cassette/CD: Random Audio. The former U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for trade gives us the history of prayer in America—and the history of America through its prayers and spiritual practices.

Moore, Perry. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Official Illustrated Movie Companion. HarperSanFrancisco: HarperCollins. Nov. 2005. 176p. ISBN 0-06-082787-4. $19.95. The executive producer who brought Aslan to the silver screen tells us how it all happened.

Parks, Gordon. A Hungry Heart. Atria: S. & S. Nov. 2005. 352p. ISBN 0-7432-6902-0. $26. Filmmaker, photographer, composer, author—and now, in his mid-nineties, autobiographer.

Reeves, Richard. President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination. S. & S. Nov. 2005. 480p. ISBN 0-7432-3022-1. $28. Having tackled presidents Nixon and Kennedy in successful bios, Reeves feels ready for Reagan, whom he proclaims a sly and crafty politician. With a seven-city tour.

Shapiro, James. A Year In the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599. HarperCollins. Oct. 2005. 320p. ISBN 0-06-008873-7. $26.95. CD: HarperAudio. Shakespeare considered through a single year—when he wrote four major plays, including Hamlet. From a popular Columbia English professor.

Sheldon, Sidney. The Other Side of Me. Warner. Nov. 2005. 368p. ISBN 0-446-53267-3. $25.95. An Oscar, a Tony, and 300 million books in print in 51 languages. This should be some story.

Spitz, Bob. The Beatles. Little, Brown. Nov. 2005. 928p. ISBN 0-316-80352-9. $29.95. There are hundreds of Beatles books, but this one reputedly is no cut-and-paste job, relying on multitudinous new interviews and previously untapped sources.

Stach, Reiner. Kafka: The Decisive Years. Harcourt. Nov. 2005. 672p. ISBN 0-15-100752-7. $30. The first of a three-volume study by German scholar Stach that Tagesanzeiger called "the first great biography of Franz Kafka."

Stewart, Martha. Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Potter, dist. by Crown. Nov. 2005. 352p. ISBN 0-307-23672-2. $40. With 250 recipes, Stewart sets out to prove that she didn't forget how to bake while in jail.

Updike, John. Still Looking: Essays on American Art. Knopf. Nov. 2005. 288p. ISBN 1-4000-4418-9. $40. Updike takes time off from fiction to gather 18 of his essays on art, seen mostly in the New York Review of Books.

Vise, David A. & Mark Malseed. The Google Story: Inside the Hottest Business, Media, and Technology Success of Our Time. Delacorte. Nov. 2005. 320p. ISBN 0-553-80457-X. $26. CD: Random Audio. A Pulitzer Prize winner from the Washington Post whose beat includes Google, Vise and coauthor Malseed (who worked with him on The Bureau and the Mole) tell the tale of how two twentysomething doctoral students built the little search engine that could.

Zaleski, Philip & Carol Zaleski. Prayer: A History. Houghton. Nov. 2005. 352p. ISBN 0-618-15288-1. $28. In a book commissioned by the publisher, two Smith college professors consider prayer in all its manifestations, from Neanderthal funerals to the rosary.

Zehme, Bill. Carson the Magnificent: An Intimate Portrait. Random. Nov. 2005. 208p. ISBN 1-4000-6472-4. $24.95.Esquire contributing editor Zehme offers a tribute to Johnny Carson's 4530 nights onscreen across America.