Prepub Alert
By Barbara Hoffert -- Library Journal, 6/15/2008
Fiction
Atkinson, Kate. When Will There Be Good News? Little, Brown. 320p. ISBN 978-0-316-15485-7. lrg. prnt. $24.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
A former detective stuck on a train hears a terrifying sound. So does a teenager watching TV. And decades ago, Joanna Mason's family encountered something shocking on a country lane. It all ties together in the latest thriller from Atkinson.
Barth, John. The Development. Houghton. Oct. 2008. 176p. ISBN 978-0-547-07248-7. $23.
Linked stories about a gated community troubled by infidelity, a suicide pact, and a Peeping Tom—this is Barth, after all.
Belzer, Richard. I Am Not a Cop! S. & S. Oct. 2008. 256p. ISBN 978-1-4165-7066-0. $24.
Postmodern celebrity fiction? In this debut, Belzer—best known as Det. John Munch on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit—meets a friend for a Brighton Beach dinner, then makes headlines when he's caught in a brawl. Oh, and his friend is missing.
Buckley, Christopher. Supreme Courtship. Twelve: Hachette. Sept. 2008. 288p. ISBN 978-0-446-57982-7. $24.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
The President is mad! The Senate keeps rejecting his nominees! So he nominates the country's most popular TV judge for the Supreme Court! With an eight-city tour.
Carroll, Jonathan. The Ghost in Love. Sarah Crichton: Farrar. Oct. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-374-16186-6. $25.
A man who cracks open his skull doesn't die, as he was supposed to—evidently, humanity has decided to defy the gods. So he's tailed by his ever more desperate ghost, who even falls in love with the man's girlfriend.
Chiaverini, Jennifer. The Quilter's Kitchen: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel with Recipes. S. & S. Oct. 2008. 224p. ISBN 978-1-4165-8329-5. $19.95.
Find out how Chef Anna ends up writing the official cookbook for the Elm Creek Quilters and get 100 recipes in the bargain.
Connelly, Michael. The Brass Verdict. Little, Brown. Oct. 2008. 384p. ISBN 978-0-316-16629-4. $26.99; lrg. prnt. $26.99. Cassette/CD: Hachette Audio.
Mickey Haller takes the case of a Hollywood lawyer who's been murdered—and discovers that the killer is now after him. With a ten-city tour.
DeMille, Nelson. The Gate House. Grand Central. Oct. 2008. 500p. ISBN 978-0-446-53342-3. $27.99; lrg. prnt. $29.99. Cassette/CD: Hachette Audio.
Years after his wife killed her Mafia lover, John Sutter finds himself living in the gate house of her family's grand estate—and contending with the victim's enraged son.
Evans, Richard Paul. [Untitled]. S. & S. Oct. 2008. 192p. ISBN 978-1-4165-5003-7. $19.95.
No hints yet on the plot, but you know it will be filled with love, hope, and Christmas. With a ten-city tour.
Ghosh, Amitav. Sea of Poppies. Farrar. Oct. 2008. 512p. ISBN 978-0-374-17422-4. $26.
Ship of fools? The folks aboard the Ibis, which is heading across the Indian Ocean to enter the Opium Wars, include an impoverished raja, a mulatto American, and a French orphan. With a reading group guide.
Glass, Julia. I See You Everywhere. Pantheon. Oct. 2008. 304p. ISBN 978-0-375-42275-1 $24. CD: Random Audio.
From National Book Award winner Glass: two sisters whose lives mesh, for better and for worse.
Harrison, Jim. The English Major. Grove. Oct. 2008. 304p. ISBN 978-0-8021-1863-9. $24. CD: Blackstone Audio.
Divorced and homeless because his real-estate maven of an ex-wife has swiped the family farm, sixtyish Cliff heads off on a cross-country trip. With a reading group guide.
Huston, Nancy. Fault Lines. Black Cat: Grove. Oct. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-8021-7051-4. pap. $14.
On a trip to Germany, which his family had fled post–World War II, a scarily gifted child learns some really scary family secrets. A Prix Femina winner and best seller in France now being translated into 18 languages; with a reading group guide.
Johansen, Iris. Dark Summer. St. Martin's. Oct. 2008. 384p. ISBN 978-0-312-36808-1. $26.95.
Lucky for a wounded black lab named Ned that veterinarian Devon Brady is tending to him. Not so lucky for Devon, who is dragged into a cycle of violence by Ned's owner. With a one-day laydown on October 14.
Kent, Kathleen. The Heretic's Daughter. Little, Brown. Sept. 2008. 336p. ISBN 978-0-316-02448-8. $24.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
For this debut, Kent goes back to her forebear Martha Carrier, who was hanged as a witch in 1600s Salem—but saved her daughter by convincing her to lie.
Kleypas, Lisa. A Wallflower Christmas. St. Martin's. Oct. 2008. 224p. ISBN 978-0-312-53378-6. $16.95.
In London for an arranged marriage with a British heiress, wild American Rafe Bowman gets a makeover from four former Wallflowers. With a one-day laydown on October 28; a three-city tour.
Lehane, Dennis. The Given Day. Morrow. Oct. 2008. 352p. ISBN 978-0-688-16318-1. $26.95. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio.
Lehane goes for something different with a family epic set after World War I. With a one-day laydown on September 23; an 11-city tour and reading group guide.
Lippman, Laura. Hardly Knew Her: Stories. Morrow. Oct. 2008. 304p. ISBN 978-0-06-158499-2. $23.95. CD: HarperAudio.
Award-winning short stories and a new novella from this year's guest of honor at Bouchercon 2008.
Muller, Marcia. Burn Out. Grand Central. Oct. 2008. 304p. ISBN 978-0-446-58107-3. $24.99.
Mulling things over at her high-desert ranch, Sharon McCone is reluctantly drawn into investigating a murder at an abandoned resort.
Rankin, Ian. Exit Music. Little, Brown. Sept. 2008. 432p. ISBN 978-0-316-05758-5. $24.99.
A dissident Russian poet is dead in what looks like a mugging that got out of hand, but Detective Inspector John Rebus knows better. With a six-city tour.
Reese, James. The Dracula Dossier: A Novel of Suspense. Morrow. Oct. 2008. 400p. ISBN 978-0-06-123354-8. $24.95.
Extending the vampire franchise: Bram Stoker is strolling around Whitechapel when he encounters the handiwork of the villain soon known as Jack the Ripper—and gets blamed for the crime.
Shreve, Anita. Testimony. Little, Brown. Oct. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-316-05986-2. $25.99; lrg. prnt. $27.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
A sex scandal rocks a posh New England boarding school, and, what's worse, there's a videotape. The result? Divorces, wrecked careers, and one death. With a reading group guide.
Sister Souljah. Midnight: A Gangster Love Story. Atria: S. & S. Oct. 2008. 352p. ISBN 978-1-4165-4518-7. $26.
Having made an appearance in Sister Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever, Midnight gets his own story, which takes him from his wealthy African Islamic family to the streets of Brooklyn. With a five-city tour.
Tolkien, J.R.R. Tales from the Perilous Realm. Houghton. Oct. 2008. 288p. ISBN 978-0-547-15411-4. $26.
Tolkien's four novellas—Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, and Roverandom—and one book of poems—The Adventures of Tom Bombadil—get together in this illustrated edition.
Nonfiction
Blount, Roy, Jr. Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Pith, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics, and Essences, with Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory. Sarah Crichton: Farrar. Oct. 2008. 368p. ISBN 978-0-374-10369-9. $25. CD: Macmillan Audio.
Can't beat the subtitle for explaining this book.
Burk, Kathleen. Old World, New World: Great Britain and America from the Beginning. Atlantic Monthly. Oct. 2008. 848p. ISBN 978-0-87113-971-9. $35.
A fourth-generation Californian teaching history in London, Burk would seem well situated to analyze the uneasy relationship between Great Britain and America.
Butcher, Tim. Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart. Grove. Oct. 2008. 384p. ISBN 978-0-8021-1877-6. $25.
Dispatched to Africa, Daily Telegraph correspondent Butcher decided to repeat Stanley's legendary trek along the mighty Congo River to flush out Dr. Livingston. But he did it alone. A selection of Britain's famed Richard & Judy Book Club—its only nonfiction last year.
Chaffin, Tom. The H.L. Hunley: The Secret Hope of the Confederacy. Hill & Wang: Farrar. Oct. 2008. 352p. ISBN 978-0-8090-9512-4. $26.
The first submarine ever to sink an enemy ship, the Confederacy's H.L. Hunley was itself lost beneath the waves and not discovered until 1995. Here's the complete story from Civil War historian Chaffin. With a national tour.
Cheever, Susan. Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction. S. & S. Oct. 2008. 176p. ISBN 978-1-4165-3792-2. $22.
Is sex really addicting, like drugs and alcohol? Where does passion stop and neurobiological process begin? Considerations both scientific and personal from the author of Home Before Dark.
Cortés, Rev. Luis, Jr. A Simple Guide to U.S. Immigration and Citizenship. Atria: S. & S. Oct. 2008. 144p. ISBN 978-0-7432-9449-2. pap. $7.99; Spanish: ISBN 978-0-7432-9450-8. $7.99.
The president and CEO of Esperanza, a Hispanic faith-based community development organization, gives advice to any immigrant interested in becoming a U.S. citizen.
Cross, Charles R. Cobain Unseen. Little, Brown. Oct. 2008. 160p. ISBN 978-0-316-03372-5. $35.
A visual guide ranging from handwritten stickers to previously unseen photos; from the author of Heavier Than Heaven: The Biography of Kurt Cobain.
Curtis, Tony with Peter Golenbock. American Prince: A Memoir. Harmony: Crown. Oct. 2008. 288p. ISBN 978-0-307-40849-5. $25.95. CD: Random Audio.
From tough Bronx childhood to life as Hollywood royalty.
Doocy, Steve. Tales from the Dad Side: Misadventures in Fatherhood. Morrow. Oct. 2008. 224p. ISBN 978-0-06-144162-2. $25.95. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio.
Having done marriage with The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook, Fox & Friends cohost Doocy offers upbeat advice to dads. With a nine-city tour.
Fischer, David Hackett. Champlain's Dream. S. & S. Oct. 2008. 608p. ISBN 978-1-4165-9332-4. $35.
Just in time for the 400th birthday party of New France (now Quebec): the story of its founder and first governor, explorer Samuel de Champlain, who envisioned a humane and tolerant new colony. From a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian.
Forbes, Harrison with Beth Adelman. Dog Talk: Lessons Learned from a Life with Dogs. St. Martin's. Oct. 2008. 288p. ISBN 978-0-312-37873-8. $24.95.
Here's more canine expertise, delivered by a nationally syndicated talk show host who has trained over 600 police dogs nationwide. With a national tour.
Garavaglia, Jan, M.D. How Not To Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner. Crown. Oct. 2008. 288p. ISBN 978-0-307-40914-0. $24.95.
A high-profile TV forensic expert revisits death as she has seen it to explain how to stay alive.
Greenfield-Sanders, Timothy & Elvis Mitchell. The Black List. Atria: S. & S. Oct. 2008. 196p. ISBN 978-1-4165-9419-2. $29.95. CD: S. & S. Audio.
Published in conjunction with the film The Black List, a recent hit at Sundance, this work offers interviews with 22 leading African Americans (e.g., Toni Morrison, Colin Powell), plus original photographs.
Grossman, David. Writing in the Dark: Essays. Farrar. Oct. 2008. 144p. ISBN 978-0-374-28110-6. $18.
With five new essays, premiere Israeli author Grossman sustains his plea for reason and reconciliation in an ever more tumultuous time.
Heat-Moon, William Least. Roads to Quoz: An American Mosey. Little, Brown. Oct. 2008. 480p. ISBN 978-0-316-11025-9. $27.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
Here's another road trip from the author of Blue Highways, who says we've got to travel slowly and deliberately if we want to eat well along the way. No fast-track tour, of course.
Holzer, Harold. Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860–1861. S. & S. Oct. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-7432-8947-4. $30.
Before his inauguration, President-elect Lincoln was already speaking boldly on the issues of slavery and secession, brooking no compromise. From Lincoln Prize winner Holzer.
Macaulay, David. The Way We Work: Getting To Know the Amazing Human Body. Houghton. Oct. 2008. 336p. ISBN 978-0-618-23378-6. $35.
Getting beyond cathedrals, Macaulay sat in on anatomy classes, surgeries, and autopsies so that he could get the workings of the human body just right. Not for kids only; with a national tour.
McCormick, Maureen. Here's the Story. HarperEntertainment: HarperCollins. Oct. 2008. 304p. ISBN 978-0-06-149014-9. $25.95. CD: HarperAudio.
Here's the whole story—replete with eating disorders, drug addiction, depression, and family secrets—from the actress who was Marcia Brady. With a one-day laydown on October 14; nine-city tour.
McPherson, James M. Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Oct. 2008. 416p. ISBN 978-1-59420-191-2. $35. CD: Penguin Audio.
Emeritus history professor at Princeton, McPherson explains that Lincoln virtually defined the role of commander in chief—to excellent effect. With a seven-city tour.
Matsen, Brad. Titanic's Last Secrets: The Further Adventures of Shadow Divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler. Twelve: Hachette. Oct. 2008. 352p. ISBN 978-0-446-58205-6. $27.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
Why did the Titanic sink so fast? The divers who uncovered a Nazi U-boat off the coast of New Jersey investigated, and they see a cover-up. As told by the author of Descent.
Millan, Cesar with Melissa Jo Peltier. A Member of the Family: Cesar Millan's Guide to a Lifetime of Fulfillment with Your Dog. Harmony: Crown. Oct. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-307-40891-4. $25.95. CD: Random Audio.
The Dog Whisperer explains how to get a dog that's right for your family.
Norman, Philip. John Lennon: The Life. Ecco: HarperCollins. Oct. 2008. 704p. ISBN 978-0-688-04774-0. $34.95. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio.
The author of the big Beatles book Shout! narrows his focus to Beatle John.
Patterson, James & Hal Friedman. Against Medical Advice: A True Story. Little, Brown. Sept. 2008. 384p. ISBN 0-978-316-02475-4. $26.99.
In his first book of narrative nonfiction, Patterson profiles Cory Friedman, who at age five was suddenly consumed by uncontrollable body tics that mystified doctors—and lasted for decades.
Pépin, Jacques. Jacques Pépin More Fast Food My Way. Houghton. Oct. 2008. 272p. ISBN 978-0-618-14233-0. $32.
Creamy Leek and Mushroom Soup in seven minutes. Cured Salmon Morsels instantly. With a national author tour.
Pinsky, Drew with S. Mark Young. The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America. Harper: HarperCollins. Oct. 2008. 368p. ISBN 978-0-06-158233-2. $26.95. CD: HarperAudio.
Why do we care so much about celebrity, and how is it hurting our society? The host of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Phil ought to know.
Remini, Robert V. A Short History of the United States. Harper: HarperCollins. Oct. 2008. 384p. ISBN 978-0-06-083144-8. $27.95. CD: HarperAudio.
The historian of the U.S. House of Representatives and a National Book Award winner, Remini nicely packs U.S, history into fewer than 400 pages.
Sedaris, David. Holidays on Ice. Little, Brown. Oct. 2008. 192p. ISBN 978-0-316-03590-3. $16.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
Since the first edition has sold over 800,000 copies in ten years, it's probably smart to update it with six new stories.
Spiegelman, Art. Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! Pantheon. Oct. 2008. 76p. ISBN 978-0-375-42395-6. $27.50.
The man behind Maus on making comics—and how the comics made him what he is today.
Stewart, Martha. Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook. Potter: Crown. Oct. 2008. 512p. ISBN 978-0-307-39644-0. $45.
Stewart teaches basic techniques using 200 new recipes. With a five-city tour.
Wagner, Robert J. with Scott Eyman. Pieces of My Heart: A Life. HarperEntertainment: HarperCollins. Oct. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-06-137331-2. $25.95. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio.
Wagner on his life, his times, and all the people he met while starring in more than 100 films and TV series over the past 50 years.
Williams, Terry Tempest. Finding Beauty in a Broken World. Pantheon. Oct. 2008. 400p. ISBN 978-0-307-37778-4. $17.95.
Williams continues her spiritual explorations.
