First Novels Forecast a Lush Spring

Thousands of novels are published each year, some of them debuts that promise to be fresh, fun, and maybe even the work of our next John Grisham or Marcel Proust. That's why LJ lists a wide-ranging selection of forthcoming first novels each season. This season, we're grouping the books by genre, though we'll continue listing an author's state or country for programming purposes. Where available, we are quoting from the LJ review and indicating books starred in the magazine. 
For the best of last season's successes, see the web exclusive retrospective, below.

LITERARY
Shaila Abdullah. Saffron Dreams. Modern History. Feb. (Texas) “A remarkable, inevitably hopeful glimpse into the daily life of Muslim [women] living in America.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Nathalie Abi-Ezzi. A Girl Made of Dust. Grove. Jul. (England)
Sulaiman Addonia. The Consequences of Love. Random. Aug. (England)
Shilpa Agarwal. Haunting Bombay. Soho, dist. by Consortium. Apr. (California) “Will definitely appeal to fans of Monica Ali and Jhumpa Lahiri...but it retains a fresh, original feel that will draw in new readers on its own literary merit.” (LJ 3/15/09)
Siba al-Harez. The Others. Seven Stories. Apr. (Saudi Arabia)
Greg Ames. Buffalo Lockjaw. Hyperion. Apr. (New York)
Chloe Aridjis. Book of Clouds. Black Cat: Grove. Mar. (Germany)
Gaynor Arnold. Girl in a Blue Dress. Crown. Jul. (England)
Bhira Backhaus. Under the Lemon Trees. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin's. Mar. (Arizona) “Excel[s] at depicting the tension that immigrants and first-generation progeny often experience.” (LJ 1/09)
Eric Barnes. Shimmer. Unbridled. Jun. (Tennessee)
Hyatt Bass. The Embers. Holt. Jul. (NA)
Kyle Beachy. The Slide. Dial. Feb. (Illinois)
Jane Berentson. Miss Harper Can Do It. Viking. May. (New York)
Jedediah Berry. The Manual of Detection. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Feb. (Massachusetts)
Alastair Campbell. All in the Mind. Overlook, dist. by Penguin Group (USA). Jun. (England)
Oscar Casares. Amigoland. Little, Brown. Aug. (Texas)
Marisha Chamberlain. The Rose Variations. Soho, dist. by Consortium. Feb. (Minnesota) “A strong debut with a compelling heroine.” (LJ 2/1/09)
William Coles. Prelude. Soho, dist. by Consortium. May. (Scotland)
Tim Davys (pseud.). Amberville. Harper: HarperCollins. Mar. (NA) “Davys's first novel is set in a town made up entirely of stuffed animals…[a] clever idea [that] soon loses its luster.” (LJ 2/15/09)
Carolina De Robertis. The Invisible Mountain. Knopf. Aug. (California)
Patrick deWitt. Ablutions: Notes on a Novel. Houghton Harcourt. Feb. (Washington)
Elizabeth Diamond. An Accidental Light. Other. Feb. (England) “Diamond's remarkable talent is the engaging immediacy of her characters' voices.” (LJ 2/15/09)
Darrin Doyle. Revenge of the Teacher's Pet: A Love Story. Louisiana State Univ. Apr. (Kansas)
Courtney Eldridge. The Generosity of Women. Houghton Harcourt. Jun. (Argentina)
Marc Fitten. Valeria's Last Stand. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. May. (NA) “[A] warmly amusing first novel.” (LJ 3/15/09)
Amanda C. Gable. The Confederate General Rides North. Scribner. Aug. (Georgia)
Miriam Gershow. The Local News. Spiegel & Grau. Feb. (Oregon) “A sad, bravely written novel… heartily recommended.” (LJ 11/15/08)
Grant Ginder. This Is How It Starts. S. & S. Jun. (New York)
Matthew Aaron Goodman. Hold Love Strong. Touchstone: S. & S. Apr. (New York)
Robert Goolrick. A Reliable Wife. Algonquin. Mar. (New York)
Emily Fox Gordon. It Will Come to Me. Spiegel & Grau. Mar. (Texas) “An enjoyable read throughout.” (LJ 2/15/09)
Nafisa Haji. The Writing on My Forehead. Morrow. Mar. (California) “Call[s] to mind novels like Monica Ali's Brick Lane…the climax is powerful and satisfying.” (LJ 11/15/08)
Joshua Halberstam. A Seat at the Table: A Novel of Forbidden Choices. Sourcebooks Landmark. Mar. (New York)
Samantha Harvey. The Wilderness. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Feb. (England) “A treat for literature lovers who appreciate complexity in their novels and aren't afraid to deal with tough topics.” (LJ 1/09)
Nicole Helget. The Turtle Catcher. Houghton Harcourt. Feb. (Minnesota) “Liesel is a character readers won't soon forget. Strongly recommended.” (LJ 12/08)
Cristina Henriquez. The World in Half. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Apr. (Illinois)
Nicholas Hogg. Show Me the Sky. Canongate, dist. by Grove/Atlantic. Apr. (England)
Ginnah Howard. Night Navigation. Houghton Harcourt. Apr. (New York)
Tania James. Atlas of Unknowns. Knopf. Apr. (New York)
Mary Beth Keane. The Walking People. Houghton Harcourt. May. (Pennsylvania) “As powerful as it is relevant; highly recommended.” (LJ 2/15/09)
Nicola Keegan. Swimming. Knopf. Jul. (France)
Elizabeth Kelly. Apologize, Apologize! A Novel About the Family That Puts the Personality in Disorder. Twelve. Mar. (Canada) “While Kelly is a clever, witty wordsmith…she only skims the surface of her characters.” (LJ 9/1/08)
*Laleh Khadivi. The Age of Orphans. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Mar. (NA) “A remarkable first novel.” (LJ 2/15/09)
Katie Kitamura. The Longshot. Free Pr: S. & S. Jun. (England/New York)
Elliot Krieger. Exiles. Soho, dist. by Consortium. Aug. (Rhode Island)
Valerie Laken. Dream House. Harper: HarperCollins. Feb. (Wisconsin) “The atmosphere of the house is entrancing, but the meetings of the main characters seem forced. …Still, an enjoyable book.” (LJ 1/08)
*Laila Lalami. Secret Son. Algonquin. Apr. (California) “A brilliant story of alienation and desperation that easily transports readers to hot, dusty Casablanca; highly recommended.” (LJ 1/09)
*Reif Larsen. The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). May. (New York) “Detailed and absorbing… an exceptional novel.” (LJ 3/15/09)
Christine Lehner. Absent a Miracle. Houghton Harcourt. Aug. (New York)
Thomas Leveritt. The Exchange Rate Between Love and Money. S. & S. Apr. (England)
James A. Levine. The Blue Notebook. Spiegel & Grau. Jul. (Minnesota)
Li Yiyun. The Vagrants. Random. Feb. (California) “A talented storyteller…able to juggle multiple story lines…in this character-driven work.” (LJ 10/15/08)
Stephen Lovely. Irreplaceable. Voice: Hyperion. Feb. (Iowa) “Lovely's sensitive handling of families going from catastrophe to something that looks like normal bodes well for a long, rich career.” (LJ 1/09)
Elizabeth Lowry. The Bellini Madonna. Farrar. May. (England)
Louis Maistros. The Sound of Building Coffins. Toby. Feb. (NA) “Highly recommended.” (LJ 12/08)
Emily St. John Mandel. Last Night in Montreal. Unbridled. Jun. (New York)
C.M. Mayo. The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire. Unbridled. May. (Washington)
Philipp Meyer. American Rust. Spiegel & Grau. Feb. (New York) “Strongly recommended.” (LJ 10/15/08)
*C.E. Morgan. All the Living. Farrar. Apr. (Kentucky) “A gorgeous debut.” (LJ 1/09)
Isla Morley. Come Sunday. Sarah Crichton: Farrar. Jun. (California) “The character development in this novel is quite engaging, but ultimately the plot is somewhat predictable.” (LJ 3/15/09)
Peter Murphy. John the Revelator. Houghton Harcourt. Aug. (Ireland)
H.M. Naqvi. Home Boy. Shaye Areheart Bks., dist. by Harmony. Jul. (Pakistan/United States)
Agate Nesaule. In Love with Jerzy Kosinski. Univ. of Wisconsin. Mar. (United States)
Sandra Novack. Precious. Random. Feb. (Georgia) “Told with emotional honesty and a unique grasp of the sometimes searing complexity of human relationships.” (LJ 1/09)
Kamran Pasha. Mother of the Believers. Atria: S. & S. Apr. (New York)
Brigid Pasulka. A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True. Houghton Harcourt. Aug. (Illinois)
Samantha Peale. The American Painter Emma Dial. Norton. May. (California)
John Pipkin. Woodsburner.Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Apr. (Texas)
Ladette Randolph. A Sandhills Ballad. Univ. of New Mexico. Apr. (NA)
Charlotte Roche. Wetlands. Grove. Apr. (Germany) “Simultaneously exhilarating, moving, sad, and scary.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Shawna Yang Ryan. Locke 1928. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Apr. (California) “Lyrical and haunting…but as a whole this debut feels forced.” (LJ 11/15/08)
Shanthi Sekaran. The Prayer Room. McAdam/Cage. Feb. (NA) “Sekaran's lyrical prose and insightful cultural details make this an absorbing story.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Susan Sellers. Vanessa and Virginia. Houghton Harcourt. May. (England)
Ali Sethi. The Wish Maker. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. (Pakistan)
*Kathryn Stockett. The Help. Amy Einhorn: Putnam. Feb. (Georgia) “Is this an easy book to read? No, but it is surely worth reading.” (LJ 1/09)
Mari Strachan. The Earth Hums in B Flat. Canongate, dist. by Grove/Atlantic. Jun. (Wales)
Tim Thornton. The Alternative Hero. Knopf. Jul. (England)
Jonathan Twingley. The Badlands Saloon: An Illustrated Novel. Scribner. Jul. (New York)
Juan Gabriel Vásquez. The Informers. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Jul. (Spain)
Abraham Verghese. Cutting for Stone. Knopf. Feb. (California) “Succeeds on many levels…recommended for all collections.” (LJ 1/09)
Mary Yukari Waters. The Favorites. Scribner. Jun. (California)
Alia Yunis. The Night Counter. Shaye Areheart Bks., dist. by Harmony. Aug. (Abu Dhabi)

POP FICTION
Debra Austin. Daughter of Kura. Touchstone: S. & S. Aug. (California)
Margot Berwin. Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire. Pantheon. Jun. (New York)
Tess Callahan. April & Oliver. Grand Central. Jun. (New Jersey)
Emily Chenoweth. Hello Goodbye. Random. May. (Oregon)
Farai Chideya. Kiss the Sky. Atria: S. & S. May. (NA)
Teri Coyne. The Last Bridge. Ballantine. Jul. (New York)
David Cristofano. The Girl She Used To Be. Grand Central. Mar. (Maryland)
Jodi Della Femina & Sheri McInnis. By Invitation Only. St. Martin's. Jun. (New York/Canada)
Holly Denham. Holly's Inbox. Sourcebooks. Jun. (England)
Matthew Dicks. Something Missing. Broadway. Jul. (Connecticut)
John Drake. Flint & Silver: A Prequel to Treasure Island. S. & S. May. (England)
Eric Eisdorfer. The Wet Nurse's Tale. Putnam. Aug. (North Carolina)
Elissa Elliott. Eve. Delacorte. Feb. (Minnesota)
Marina Fiorato. The Glassblower of Murano. Griffin: St. Martin's. Jun. (England)
*Mackenzie Ford. Gifts of War.
Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Jun. (England) “Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction as well as those who enjoy tales of espionage.” (LJ 3/15/09)
Paula Froelich. Mercury in Retrograde. Atria: S. & S. Jun. (New York)
James W. Fuerst. Huge. Crown. Jul. (New York)
Tanya Egan Gibson. How To Buy a Love of Reading. Dutton. May. (California) “Readers fond of Claire Messaud and Marisha Pessl might want to try Gibson's bold outing.” (LJ 3/15/09)
Lynne Griffin. Life Without Summer. St. Martin's. Apr. (Massachusetts)
Steve Hely. How I Became a Famous Novelist. Black Cat: Grove. Jul. (NA)
Susan Higginbotham. The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II. Sourcebooks Landmark. Apr. (North Carolina) “Overall, a worthy debut.” (LJ 3/1/09)
Jonathan L. Howard. Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer. Doubleday. Jul. (England)
Katherine Howe. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. Voice: Hyperion. Jun. (Massachusetts)
Todd Johnson. The Sweet By and By. Morrow. Mar. (Connecticut) “You may feel like your Southern ladies lit shelf is crammed, but you'll want to save a place for this one.” (LJ 11/15/08)
Toni Jordan. Addition. Morrow. Feb. (Australia) “Highly recommended.” (LJ 1/09)
Ben Kane. The Forgotten Legion. St. Martin's. Mar. (England) “A pleasure for those who like history and great adventure.” (LJ 12/08)
Erika J. Kendrick. Appetite. One World: Ballantine. Jun. (New York)
Gerald Kolpan. Etta. Ballantine. Mar. (New York) “Sure to be compared favorably with Larry McMurtry's novels of the Wild West.” (LJ 12/08)
Sharon Lathan. Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One. Sourcebooks. Mar. (California)
Jack Woodville London. Virgina's War: Tierra Texas, 1944. Vire. Feb. (Texas)
Sarah McCoy. The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico. Shaye Areheart Bks., dist. by Harmony. Aug. (Texas)
Brendan McNally. Germania. S. & S. Feb. (Texas) “The plot goes astray halfway through.” (LJ 9/15/08)
Gil McNeil. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club. Voice: Hyperion. Mar. (England) “McNeil's debut will quickly find an audience.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Bridget McNulty. Strange Nervous Laughter. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin's. May. (South Africa)
Holly McQueen. The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder. Atria: S. & S. Apr. (England)
Vanina Marsot. Foreign Tongue: A Novel of Life and Love in Paris. Harper: HarperCollins. Apr. (France/California) “A delectable treat for any Francophile.” (LJ 3/1/09)
Clancy Martin. How To Sell. Farrar. May. (Missouri)
Gaile Parkin. Baking Cakes in Kigali. Delacorte. Aug. (Rwanda)
Gaellen Quinn. The Last Aloha. Lost Coast. May. (Texas)
Naseem Rakha. The Crying Tree. Broadway. Jul. (Oregon)
Robert Rave. Spin. St. Martin's. Aug. (California)
Adam Schell. Tomato Rhapsody. Delacorte. Jun. (California)
Erick Setiawan. Of Bees and Mist. S. & S. Aug. (California)
Deirdre Shaw. Love or Something Like It. Random. Apr. (California)
Patrick Somerville. The Cradle. Little, Brown. Mar. (Illinois) “Somerville keeps us engaged…from the outset. Highly recommended.” (LJ 1/09)
Ilana Stanger-Ross. Sima's Undergarments for Women. Overlook. Feb. (Canada) “A tale about appreciating one's life, and isn't that what life is all about?” (LJ 10/15/08)
J. Courtney Sullivan. Commencement. Knopf. Jun. (New York)
Christina Sunley. The Tricking of Freya. St. Martin's. Mar. (California) “The tale of a fascinating family…for readers of sagas.” (LJ 12/08)
Maida Tilchen. Land Beyond Maps. Savvy. Feb. (Massachusetts)
Daphne Uviller. Super in the City. Bantam. Feb. (New York)
Karen Weinreb. The Summer Kitchen. St. Martin's. Jul. (NA)
Susan Rebecca White. Bound South. Touchstone: S. & S. Feb. (Georgia)
Russell Whitfield. Gladiatrix. Griffin: St. Martin's. Apr. (England) “An intriguing and action-packed read…marred by a lack of historical context.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Samantha Wilde. This Little Mommy Stayed Home. Bantam. Jun. (Massachusetts)
Farahad Zama. The Marriage Bureau for Rich People. Amy Einhorn: Putnam. Jun. (England)

SF/FANTASY/HORROR
F.G. Cottam. The House of Lost Souls. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin's. Jul. (England)
Mark Eller. Traitor. (Bk. 1 of the Turner Chronicles). Swimming Kangaroo. Apr. (Michigan)
Karina Fabian. Magic, Mensa & Mahem. Swimming Kangaroo. Feb. (North Dakota)
M.L. Forman. Adventurers Wanted: Slathbog's Gold. Shadow Mountain. Feb. (NA) “Straightforward appeal for fans of sword and sorcery.” (LJ 2/15/09)
Kirsten Imani Kasai. Ice Song. Del Rey: Ballantine. May. (California) “A piercingly moving story.” (LJ 3/15/09)
Dani & Eytan Kollin. The Unincorporated Man. Tor. Mar. (California) “A Sci Fi Essential Book… a good choice for most libraries.” (LJ2/15/09)
Christopher Ransom. The Birthing House. St. Martin's. Aug. (Wisconsin)
Robert V.S. Redick. The Red Wolf Conspiracy. Del Rey: Ballantine. Apr. (Massachusetts) “Highly recommended.” (LJ3/15/09)
W.B. Shanley. The Soldier's Banquet. Mercury Retrograde. Aug. (Illinois)
Zachary Steele. Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO.Mercury Retrograde. Mar. (Georgia)
J.R. Tomlin. Warrior's Duty.SwimmingKangaroo. Jul. (Oregon)

MYSTERY
Marc Blatte. Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed. Schaffner. Mar. (New York) “The street talk eventually grates, but the mystery is entertaining.” (LJ 1/09)
Alan Bradley. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Delacorte. Apr. (Canada)
*Cassandra Clark. Hangman Blind. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Feb. (England) “A magnificent historical portrait of England…highly recommended” (LJ 11/1/08)
Meredith Cole. Posed for Murder. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Feb. (NA) “Some realistic characters…winner of the St. Martin's Minotaur/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Sarah Cox. Blood Is Thicker: A DS Matt Arnold Mystery. Severn House. Feb. (England) “A strong procedural.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Lyndsay Faye. Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson. S. & S. Apr. (New York) “Strongly recommended.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Steven M. Forman. Boca Knights. Forge: Tor. Feb. (Massachusetts/Florida) “For mystery fans who like their operatives macho with an offbeat sense of humor.” (LJ 11/1/08)
*Bryan Gruley. Starvation Lake. Touchstone: S. & S. Mar. (Illinois) “Don't miss this one.” (LJ 3/1/09)
Tarquin Hall. The Case of the Missing Servant: A Vish Puri Novel. S. & S. Jun. (India)
Ed Ifkovic. Lone Star. Poisoned Pen. Apr. (Connecticut)
Valerie Joyner. Hollyhood. Avon. May. (New York)
Barbara Levenson. Fatal February. Oceanview, dist. by Midpoint Trade. Feb. (Florida) “A fun romp full of humor and joie de vivre.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Tom Lowe. A False Dawn. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Apr. (Florida) “Edna Buchanan meets John D. MacDonald.” (LJ 1/09)
Kwei Quartey. Wife of the Gods. Random. Jul. (California)
*Spencer Quinn. Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery. Atria: S. & S. Feb. (Massachusetts) “Intriguing, fast moving, and well written. Even cat lovers will find this book entertaining.” (LJ 1/09)
A.E. Roman. Chinatown Angel. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Mar. (New York) “Gritty and hard-edged but a bit weak in the story line.” (LJ 3/1/09)
*Paul Tremblay. The Little Sleep. Holt. Mar. (NA) “Part noir throwback, part medical mystery, part comedy, and thoroughly, wonderfully entertaining.” (LJ 1/09)

THRILLERS
Will Adams. The Alexander Cipher. Grand Central. Mar. (England) “A plausible, fun hist-thriller that compels the reader to wonder, What if?” (LJ 2/15/09)
Rory Clements. Martyr. Bantam. May. (England)
Brian D'Amato. In the Courts of the Sun. Dutton. Mar. (New York) “End-of-the-world aficionados will find [this] compelling, but librarians will have a hard time booktalking it.” (LJ 3/15/09)
Brian DeLeeuw. In This Way I Was Saved. S. & S. Aug. (New York)
Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan. The Strain. Morrow. Jun. (California/Massachusetts)
Daniel Depp. Loser's Town: A David Spandau Novel. S. & S. Mar. (California/France)
Connie Dial. Internal Affairs. Permanent. Jun. (New York)
Harry Dolan. Bad Things Happen. Amy Einhorn: Putnam. Jul. (Michigan)
Warren Fahy. Fragment. Delacorte. Jun. (California)
Anthony Franze. The Chief Justice. Reagent. Aug. (Washington, DC)
Jamie Freveletti. Running from the Devil. Morrow. May. (Illinois)
Matthew Glass. Ultimatum. Atlantic Monthly. Apr. (England)
Nancy Grace. The Eleventh Victim. Hyperion. Aug. (New York/Atlanta)
*Andrew Grant. Even. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Jun. (England/Illinois) “A stylish, suspenseful, and overall stunning debut.” (LJ 3/1/09)
Jonathan Hickman. The Taster. Reagent. Mar. (Georgia)
Enrique Joven. The Book of God and Physics. Morrow. Jul. (Canary Islands)
Tom Knox. The Genesis Secret. Viking. Jun. (England)
Daniel Levin. The Last Ember. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Aug. (New York)
Christian Moerk. Darling Jim. Holt. Apr. (New York) “[A] darkly gothic tale of contemporary wolverine romance endeavors…[that] does not quite hit the mark.” (LJ 2/15/09)
*Robert Rotenberg. Old City Hall. Sarah Crichton Bks: Farrar. Mar. (Canada) “A roller coaster of a legal thriller that's got it all.” (LJ 2/15/09)
Roger Smith. Mixed Blood. Holt. Feb. (South Africa) “Will remind readers of Deon Meyer's best South African novels. Highly recommended.” (LJ 12/08)

ROMANCE
I. Beacham. Sanctuary. Bold Strokes. Apr. (England)
D.L. Line. On Dangerous Ground. Bold Strokes. Aug. (NA)
Colette Moody. The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin. Bold Strokes. Mar. (NA)
Susie Schade-Brewer. The Sacrifice of the Sage- Hen. Swimming Kangaroo. Mar. (Missouri)

CHRISTIAN FICTION
William Carmichael. The Missionary. Moody. Mar. (Oregon)
Darren Dillman. The Preacher. David C. Cook. Mar. (NA) “Fans of Ted Dekker or Eric Wilson may enjoy this dark tale.” (LJ 2/1/09)
Laura Frantz. The Frontiersman's Daughter. Revell. Aug. (Washington)
Shawn Grady. Through the Fire. Bethany House. Jul. (Nevada)
Don Hoesel. Elisha's Bones. Bethany House. Mar. (Tennessee)
Booker T. Mattison. Unsigned Hype. Revell. Jun. (New York)
Stephanie Morrill. Me, Just Different. Revell. Jul. (Kansas)
Tina Shelton. Bending Toward the Sun. Moody. May. (England)
Jill Eileen Smith. Michal. Revell. Mar. (Michigan)
Jackina Stark. Tender Grace. Bethany House. Feb. (Missouri)
Diana Wallis Taylor. Journey to the Well. Revell. Mar. (California) “Imaginative telling of the history of the Samaritan woman.” (LJ 2/1/09) (New York) 

Web Exclusives

A look back at how last season's debuts fared, who called them, and what we can expect from some of these new authors second outings.

Barry, Brunonia. The Lace Reader. Morrow. ISBN 978-0-061-62476-6. $24.95.

Barry has written for the YA fiction series “Beacon Street Girls,” but because this “most unusual and bewitching novel” (LJ 6/15/08) is her first original work we’re including it here. Initially self-published and sold for $2.4 million to Morrow following a starred PW review, the book practically burned a hole through the floors at BookExpo America (BEA), getting extra play as one of two Salem novels (see Kathleen Kent’s The Heretic's Daughter, below). It achieved instant bestsellerdom.  

Davidson, Andrew. The Gargoyle. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-52494-0. $25.95.

“Storytelling at its finest” said LJ’s reviewer of this novel, which features a callow hero transfigured in many ways after being horribly burned in an accident (LJ 6/1/08). An Indie Next pick and, briefly, a New York Times best seller; there’s an Amazon Q&A with the author, too.

Hinnefeld, Joyce. In Hovering Flight. Unbridled. ISBN 978-1-932961-58-4. $24.95.

“One to look out for: a rare, delicate novel,” said the Washington Post Book World, concurring with LJ’s starred review. The No. 1 Indie Next book for September, a Rocky Mountain News and Marin County Journal, and a First Editions Book Club Pick at Book Passage in California and the Tattered Cover in Colorado.

 Kamensky, Jane & Jill Lepore. Blindspot: By a Gentleman in Exile and a Lady in Disguise. Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 978-0-385-52619-7. $24.95.

A fall 2008 LJ Editors’ Pick (and an Indie Next pick, too), this picaresque by two eminent history professor proved to be “a lusty romance, a murder mystery, and a bit of Americana, all rolled into one big, fat historical romp (San Francisco Chronicle). (LJ 9/1/08)

 Kent, Kathleen. The Heretic's Daughter. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-02448-8. $24.95.

A starred LJ review, three and a half stars in People, and an Editor’s Choice nod from the New York Times—“[this is a] powerful coming-of-age tale in which tragedy is trumped by an unsinkable faith in human nature”—helped put Kent’s reimagining of Salem’s witchcraft trials on the map. (LJ 7/08)

 Kogan, Deborah Copaken. Between Here and April. Algonquin. ISBN 978-1-56512-562-9. $23.95.

An exploration of a mother’s murder of her children, this fiction debut from the author of Shutterbabe was praised in sources ranging from Elle (“extraordinary”) to Daily Candy (“a haunting eyes-wide openness”) to the Washington Post Book World (“a perfect book club book).

 Kushner, Rachel. Telex from Cuba.Scribner. ISBN 978-1-4165-6103-3. $25.

Kushner’s reconstruction of 1950s Cuba became a National Book Award finalist, but just remember that you heard about it first in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/8/08. The paperback will be out in June, and Kushner, currently coeditor of the journal Soft Targets, will teach at Toronto’s Humber School for Writers this summer.

Larsson, Stieg. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Knopf. ISBN978-0-307-26975-1. $24.95.

The late Larsson was one of the world’s top two or three best-selling authors last year and a hit here with this debut crime novel, which lived up to all the hype. Look for The Girl Who Played with Fire, out on July 28. (LJ 8/08)

Manseau, Peter. Songs for the Butcher's Daughter. Free Pr: S. & S. ISBN 978-1-4165-3870-7. $25.

Though LJ’s reviewer had some doubts, this chronicle of a fictional Yiddish poet—from the author of Vows, a memoir of Manseau’s upbringing as the son of a former priest and nun—got a big boost from NPR in January. Also an Indie Next pick. (LJ 8/08)

Montefiore, Simon. Sashenka. S. & S. ISBN 978-1-4165-9554-0. $27.

A knife-edged biographer of Stalin, Montefiore here turns in a saga of 20th century Russia that sometimes goes over the top. But in the end, as the UK’s Times Online noted, “Montefiore pulls off a denouement that combines just enough hope, and happiness, to satisfy Western readers, without losing sight of the tragedy he's invoked along the way.” There were strong reviews here, too, including stars from LJ and PW.

Orth, Lucia. Baby Jesus Pawn Shop. Permanent. ISBN 978-1-5962-170-4. $30.

“Orth’s first novel excels in its depiction of the cruelty and oppression that defined the Marcos regime in the Philippines in the 1980s,” said LJ’s reviewer (LJ 11/1/08). The book sold well enough to claim a second printing.

Peebles, Frances de Pontes. The Seamstress. Harper: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-073887-7. $25.95.

“This engrossing historical saga of Brazil in the 1920s and 1930s” got a starred LJ review and subsequently received Indie Next notice and both Elle’s Magazine’s Reader Award in September and its Grand Prix 2008 for Fiction at the end of the year. (LJ 4/15/08)

Reyn, Irina. What Happened to Anna K. Touchstone: S. & S.ISBN 978-1-4165-5893-4. $24.

“Tolstoy himself would surely have given a nod to Reyn’s re-creation of his Karenina, transported from glittering czarist Petersburg to Rego Park, Queens,” said LJ’s reviewer (LJ 7/08). An Indie Next pick, an Amazon Best of the Month in August, and a best fiction of 2008 pick from Entertainment Weekly and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Samarasan, Preeta. Evening Is the Whole Day. Houghton. ISBN 978-0-618-87447-7. $24.

This bright and boundless account of a wealthy Indian family in contemporary Malaysia “opens outward even as it deepens” (New York Times) and attracted enough interest to secure foreign sales in 14 countries. (LJ 4/15/08)

Shaffer, Mary Ann & Annie Barrows. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Dial: Random. ISBN 978-0-385-34099-1. $22.

Written by long-time editor/librarian Shaffer with niece Barrows, a children’s author, this book made news even before it was published. Alas, Shaffer did not live to see her book become the toast of BEA, an Indie Next pick, and a major best seller. (LJ 7/08)

Silber, Ami. Early Bright. Toby. ISBN 978-1-59264-241-0. $24.95.

“While not for the faint of heart, Silber's debut definitely stands out from the pack” (LJ 8/08). Now there’s an intriguing recommendation. Silber’s re-creation of L.A. bebop scene was an Editor’s Choice pick from Historical Novels Review.

Taylor, M. Glenn. The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart. West Virginia Univ. ISBN 978-1-93320-231-0. pap. $16.50.

A Discover Pick, this tale of orphan-turned-outlaw Taggart was published early enough in the year to make last season’s retrospective. Then it became a National Book Critics Circle finalist, and Ecco bought Taylor’s second book, The Marrowbone Marble Company.

Theorin, Johan. Echoes from the Dead. Delta: Dell. ISBN 978-0-385-34221-6. pap. $12.

Given the grand showing of Swedish mystery writers from Henning Mankell to Stieg Larsson (see above), it’s not surprising that any book that won the Swedish Best First Crime Novel award would grab attention here, including a starred LJ review. (LJ 11/1/08)

Viswanathan, Padma. The Toss of a Lemon. Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-15-101533-7. $26.

At 600 pages, this tale of an Indian girl widowed at 18 is certainly sprawling, which bothered some readers. But it’s also “dazzling (LJ 8/08), “absorbing” (PW), and a work that “aims for epic status but…in many ways is more nuanced” (the Washington Post Book World).

Wall, Carolyn D. Sweeping Up Glass. Poisoned Pen. ISBN 978-1-59058-512-2. $24.95.

“The suspense is gripping, the danger is very real, and the reader gets caught up in Wall’s powerful, moving debut,” observed LJ’s reviewer (LJ 8/08). Lots of other great reviews for this mystery, plus greetings from Indie Next.