Prepub Exploded: May 2010, Pt. 2

Featuring Christopher Farnsworth, Stieg Larsson & Nathaniel Philbrick

By Barbara Hoffert -- Library Journal, 12/17/2009

In this expanded version of Prepub Alert, note several thrillers noted in Middle East tension and the wrap-up to Stieg Larsson’s "Girl" trilogy. In nonfiction, T.H. Breen and Marla R. Miller celebrate the fighting spirit in Revolutionary America.

Fiction | Nonfiction

Fiction

Amis, Martin. The Pregnant Widow. Knopf. May 2010. 400p. ISBN 978-1-4000-4452-8. $27.95.
In 1970 Italy, a young Brit named Keith Nearing contends with his literary studies, social change, and—this being an Amis novel—how he can turn feminism to his advantage. Of course there are repercussions four decades hence. The promo describes this as Amis at his fearless best, which means he might rub you the wrong way. With a 50,000-copy first printing.

Doyle, Roddy. The Dead Republic. Viking. May 2010. 336p. ISBN 978-0-670-02177-2. $26.95.
Quintessential Irish rebel Henry Smart is back. Having found his way to Hollywood and promptly repudiated a sentimental film John Ford has made about him, Henry settles quietly near Dublin, until a 1974 bombing brings out his role in the Easter Uprising and the fledging IRA. Gold for discriminating readers.

Farnsworth, Christopher. Blood Oath. Putnam. May 2010. 400p. ISBN 978-0-399-15635-9. $24.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
No word on what evils he’ll be fighting in this series opener, but the new secret agent charged with protecting the President is a vampire named Nathaniel Cade. The bloodlust never ends—and, no, I don’t think this is the tipping point for the vampire craze.

Farooki, Roopa. Half Life. St. Martin’s. May 2010. 352p. ISBN 978-0-312-57790-2. $19.99.
Inspired by the words of a Bengali poet—“it’s time to stop fighting, and go home”—Aruna Ahmed Jones leaves behind her British doctor husband of a less than a year and returns to Singapore with only a handbag and the determination to put her past in order. Farooki’s first novel, Bitter Sweets, got an Orange Award for New Writers nomination, and her subsequent Corner Shop won raves, so she is clearly building. Hence the big reading group campaign.

Giffin, Emily. Heart of the Matter. St. Martin’s. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-0-312-55416-3. $26.99. CD: MacMillan Audio.
When Charlie, son of single-mom attorney Valerie Anderson, ends up in the care of Dr. Rick Russo, married to stay-at-home mom Tessa, everyone’s life is upended. Likely to be another Giffin hit; buy multiples. With a one-day laydown on May 11; national tour.

Gross, Andrew. Reckless. Morrow. Apr. 2010. 352p. ISBN 978-0-06-165595-1. $25.99.
A Wall Street trader and his family are murdered in Greenwich, CT, and the police suspect a burglary gone wrong. But Ty Hauck, who’s recently left the force for security work, thinks differently. For starters, why has the trader’s firm suddenly collapsed? After partnering with James Patterson, Gross has been building a successful solo career, and his new Ty Hauck mystery should be big. With a one-day laydown on March 30.

Gruber, Michael. The Good Son. Holt. May 2010. 400p. ISBN 978-0-8050-9128-1. $26.
When members of a peace symposium are captured and held captive in Pakistan, Sonia Laghari—who’s devout and also a Jungian—emerges as the captives’ leader. Meanwhile, her ex-soldier son is making plans to effect a rescue, even as the captors decide they will kill their captives one by one to avenge crimes committed against their country. Another good Grubar thriller, tapping into current fears.

Hamann, Hilary Thayer. Anthropology of an American Girl. Spiegel & Grau. May 2010. 640p. ISBN 978-0-385-52714-9. $25.
Published in 2003 by Vernacular Press, this book—the portrait of a young artist as an American girl—was such an underground hit that it’s been bought up by a big publisher. LJ’s assessment? “Henry James meets the 21st century….Intelligent, insightful, …refreshing, amusing” (LJ 11/1/03). Trust us. With a six-city tour to East Hampton, Boston, New York, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco, plus a big push to book clubs.

Hood, Ann. The Red Thread. Norton. May 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-0-393-07020-0. $23.95.
Hood, who lost a five-year-old daughter to a virulent strep infection, again puts her sorrow to use (after The Knitting Circle). Her new novel introduces us to Maya Lange, a grieving mother who establishes an adoption agency that places girls from China with American families. Programmers, keep in mind that Hood is reputedly a fantastic speaker. With a nine-city tour to New York, Boston, Providence, Denver, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Lexington (KY), and Louisville; reading group guide.

Huston, James W. Falcon Seven. St. Martin’s. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-312-36432-8. $24.99. CD: Macmillan Audio
Two U.S. Navy pilots are shot down over Pakistan after bombing a suspected Al Qaeda–Taliban meet-and-greet and spirited to The Hague to be tried as war criminals at the International Criminal Court (ICC). It seems that they actually hit a makeshift hospital for Afghan refugees, killing 60 people. Now the National Security Counsel is pressuring President Obama to rescue the pilots by force, but he wants to cooperate with the ICC—infuriating the Navy SEAL lawyer set to defend them. Clear politics; you know if this is for you.

Knox, Tom. The Marks of Cain. Viking. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-0-670-02191-8. $26.95.
A map bequeathed to him by his grandfather leads David Martinez to the Basque mountains. Two nasty murders lead a British journalist there, too—the victims both came from Basque villages. Apparently, this region was the site of a top-secret Nazi camp where experiments were conducted on Basques, Jews, and pre-Caucasian locals called Cagots. Knox’s best-selling The Genesis Secret went through four printings, and here he is being positioned for even bigger things.

Larsson, Stieg. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. Knopf. May 2010. 480p. ISBN 978-0-307-26999-7. $26.95. lrg. prnt. CD: Random Audio.
Lisbeth Salander is in intensive care at a Swedish hospital and under guard—she’s accused of three murders. The conclusion to the trilogy that includes The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire, which already boast over 1.6 million copies in print. Obviously, buy big, and alert your reading groups (there’s a guide). With a 500,000-copy first printing.

Leon, Donna. A Question of Belief: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery. Atlantic Monthly. May 2010. ISBN 978-0-8021-1942-1. 288p. $24.
It’s summer in Venice, and Commissario Guido Brunetti wants to get away from the tourists and the heat. But there’s an inexplicable logjam at the courts, a colleague’s spendthrift aunt to investigate, and then a violent murder to solve. This series has yet to wear thin. And speaking of thin, since food is so much a part of the appeal, look for the publication of Brunetti’s Cookbook (ISBN 978-0-8021-1947-6. $24.95.), with recipes by Leon’s best friend, Roberta Pianaro, and culinary accounts by Leon herself. 

Levy, Andrea. The Long Song. Farrar. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-374-19217-4. $26.
Returning to Jamaica, her parents’ homeland and the context of her Whitbread and Orange Prize winner Small Island, Levy introduces us to Miss July, child of a field slave brought into the sugar plantation’s great house and essentially trapped there after slavery’s tempestuous ending. Miss July speaks for herself—she’s telling her story to her son. A nice pairing with Allende’s Island Beneath the Sea, previewed last issue, but this book will be big all on its own. With an author tour; reading group guide.

Oliveira, Robin. My Name Is Mary Sutter. Viking. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-0-670-02167-3. $26.95.
Never mind what society says, Mary Sutter wants to be a surgeon, so she runs away from Albany, NY, to Washington, DC, to tend the Civil War wounded. This novel won the James Jones First Novel Fellowship for a work-in-progress. Plus, she’s getting an eight-city tour and a reading group guide. Watch this one.

Orringer, Julie. The Invisible Bridge. Knopf. May 2010. 624p. ISBN 978-1-4000-4116-9. $26.95.
Hungarian scholarship Andras Lévi arrives in 1937 Paris with one suitcase and a letter for C. Morgenstern, who lives on the rue de Sévigné. Thereafter comes the unfolding of European tragedy midcentury. Orringer’s story collection, How To Breathe Underwater, was a knockout, and good things are expected here. There’s a six-city tour to Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle, plus a reading group guide and a 60,000-copy first printing. I’m really anticipating this one. 

Parker, Robert B. Blue-Eyed Devil. Putnam. May 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-399-15648-9. $25.95.
Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are back, facing down the town’s new sheriff, Amos Callico, who’s eying the governorship and is starting by shaking down local merchants for protection money. Parker is keeping the iconic Western alive—almost singlehandedly.

Patterson, James & Peter de Jonge. Miracle on the 17th Green. Little, Brown. May 2010. 192p. ISBN 978-0-316-09210-4. $19.99. lrg. prnt. Audio: Hachette Audio.
No, not a tale of Tiger Woods’s redemption. This is a reissue of Patterson’s 1996 golf classic about a disaffected man who suddenly finds himself playing like a pro and lands at the PGA Senior Open.

Pullman, Phillip. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. Canongate: Grove. May 2010. 192p. ISBN 978-0-8021-2996-3. $19.95.
In Canongate’s “Myths” series, noteworthy contemporary authors rethink classic stories, e.g., Margaret Atwood offered The Penelopiad. Here, in what is surely the most daring pairing so far, proclaimed atheist Pullman, author of The Golden Compass and “His Dark Materials” trilogy, questions the events of the Gospels and puts forth his own story. Announcement of the book’s publication led to news stories worldwide. Interesting to see what challenges might be called on this one.

Quindlen, Anna. Every Last One. Random. May 2010. 288p. ISBN 978-1-4000-6574-5. $26.
No plot details yet—all I can say is that this novel concerns tensions within a typical suburban family and small acts with big consequences. But I don’t have to sell you on Quindlen. With a nine-city tour to Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago/Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles; reading group guide.

Sandford, John. Storm Prey. Putnam. May 2010. ISBN 978-0-399-15649-6. $27.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
Investigator Lucas Davenport’s surgeon wife was witness to a robbery gone wrong at the hospital pharmacy (a pharmacist died) and is now targeted for murder. Sandford’s 20th in the Prey series, still going strong. 

Smiley, Jane. Private Life. Knopf. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-1-4000-4060-5. $26.95. CD: Random Audio.
The good news: Margaret Mayfield is finally getting married—to naval officer and respected scientist Capt. Andrew Jackson Jefferson Early, no less. The bad news: he’s completely obsessed with his work, and by World War II—after decades of marriage—this obsession is becoming dangerous. With a six-city tour to Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Seattle; reading group guide. Smiley goes historical—and she always knows her stuff.

Solares, Martin. The Black Minutes. Black Cat: Grove. May 2010. 288p. ISBN 978-0-8021-7068-2. pap. $14.
When a journalist is killed in a Mexican port town, the police pay attention; he had been writing a book about the murder of several school girls two decades ago. Not only was this book a finalist for the Rómulo Gallegos International Novel Prize and the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, but Junot Díaz called it “a literary masterpiece masquerading as a police procedural.” Good recommendations; check it out for your smart crime readers.

Stone, David. The Skorpion Directive. Putnam. May 2010. 416p. ISBN 978-0-399-15632-8. $25.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
Micah Dalton’s heated response to enemy surveillance makes him the target of a complex plot to discredit him, with a scarred Serbian killer named Smoke in charge. Stone’s best sellers have been called “juicily graphic” (The Venetian Judgment, LJ 3/15/09), so you know the audience.

Syjuco, Miguel. Ilustrado. Farrar. May 2010. 336p. ISBN 978-0-374-17478-1. $26.
A giant of Philippine literature is found floating in the Hudson, and there’s no sign of his unfinished manuscript—an attack on the machinations of the Philippines’s wealthy family. Protégé Miguel tries to untangle what happened by reconstructing the author’s life—and ends up relating 150 years of Philippine history. The author received both the Man Asian Literary Prize and the Philippines’ Palanca Award for the unpublished manuscript of this work. So pay attention.

Tracy, P.J. Shoot To Thrill: A Monkeewrench Novel. Putnam. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-399-15520-8. $24.95.
Computer geeks who help the cops with their software, the Monkeewrench crew is asked by the FBI to look into a series of murder videos posted on the web. Techno-creepy stuff from a mother-daughter team, which makes it interesting.

Nonfiction

Achcar, Gilbert. The Arabs and the Holocaust: A History of Competing Narratives. Metropolitan: Holt. 384p. 978-0-8050-8954-7. $30.
Raised in Beirut and currently professor of development studies and international relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, Achcar takes on the thorny topic of Arab response to the Holocaust, then and now. Likely a tough-minded book and a tough read; evidently, the author asks both sides to engage in some self-reflection.

Barry, Dave. I’ll Mature When I’m Dead: Dave Barry’s Amazing Tale of Adulthood. Putnam. May 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-399-15650-2. $24.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
If you know Barry, you’ll know that these original pieces on the joys of growing up (e.g., self-image issues, songs about buses that go “Beep, beep, beep”) are not prime examples of suave, sophisticated, adult humor. Enjoy anyway.

Bayless, Rick with Deann Bayless. Fiesta at Rick’s: Fabulous Food, Luscious Libations, Great Times with Friends. Norton. May 2010. 416p. ISBN 978-0-393-05899-4. $35.
How to entertain, south-of-the-border style, with help from a James Beard Award–winning cook. I want the recipe for dark chocolate–chile ice cream. With an eight-city tour to Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, San Antonio, Austin, Denver, Phoenix, and New York.

Breen, T.H. American Insurgents, American Patriots: The Revolution of the People. Hill & Wang. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-0-8090-7588-1. $27.
Sometimes in our mythologizing we forget that the Colonists who sought freedom from England were rebels—or, in the words of top Northwestern University history professor Breen, insurgents, lots of ordinary men and women willing to kill and get killed for their beliefs. Our roots in organized violence; a timely reminder.

Daum, Meghan. Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House. Knopf. May 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-0-307-27066-5. $24.
From Los Angeles Times columnist Daum, who has spent a lifetime moving around, the tale of her obsession with buying a house—and finally committing to a bungalow with plumbing that “dated back to the Coolidge administration.” With a 60,000-copy first printing and an eight-city tour to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. Sad reading with so many Americans losing their homes, but then we do like to torture ourselves.

Ditto, Beth with Michelle Tea. Coal to Diamonds: A Memoir. Spiegel & Grau. May 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-0-385-52591-6. $22.
Postpunk life force Ditto, who fronts a big new album, Music Men, released this fall, recalls her path from poor girl in rural Arkansas to lead singer of the Portland, OR–based bank The Gossip. Too cool; buy wherever postpunk is it. With a six-city tour to New York, Austin, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles; plus Facebook and MySpace promotions, of course.

Feinstein, John. Moment of Glory: The Year Tiger Lost His Swing and Underdogs Ruled the Majors. Little, Brown. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-0-316-02531-7. $26.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
In 2003, Tiger slumped, and four golfers—Mike Weir, Jim Furyk, Ben Curtis, and Shaun Micheel—made the grade as champions. From celebrated golf writer Feinstein; talk about relevant.

Franklin, Kirk. The Blueprint: A Plan for Overcoming Life’s Obstacles. Gotham Bks: Penguin Group (USA). May 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-1-592-40547-3. $25.
The biggest-selling gospel singer in Neilsen Soundscan history, Franklin was abandoned by both parents, watched his sister become a crack addict, and never saw any evidence that men could be faithful in marriage. The point? He had no blueprint for responsible adult behavior, and he now provides one for all those needy youngsters out there. Advertised as blending “God and grit”; an important library purchase, especially in urban areas and wherever gospel is popular.

Goldberg, Carey & others. Three Wishes: Our True Story of Good Friends, Bad Odds, Crushing Heartbreak, and One Little Thing That Inspired a Lot of Happiness. Little, Brown. Apr. 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-0-316-07906-8. $24.99.
Goldberg and friends Beth Jones and Pamela Ferdinand wanted children but had no men in their lives. So Goldberg started hunting donor banks and ended up with a vial of sperm. Then she fell in love and got pregnant, so she passed on the vial. And so on—sort of like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for adults. Lots of women out there will want to read this book.

Heidler, David S. & Jeanne T. Heidler. Henry Clay: The Essential American. Random. May 2010. 624p. ISBN 978-1-4000-6726-8. $30.
The Founding Fathers having been done nearly to death in recent years, it’s refreshing to get a thoroughgoing biography of a significant politician whose career came a bit later, ranging from James Madison’s administration to the time of the young Lincoln—who worshipped him.

His Majesty King Abdullah II. Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril. Viking. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-670-02171-0. $27.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
The eldest son of Jordan’s King Hussein—and a 43rd direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad—the author had not expected to ascend to the throne; his father’s brother had long been crown prince. But he was chosen by the king on his deathbed. Here he offers both a memoir and a frank discussion of how to solve problems in the Middle East.

Jacobson, Sid & Ernie Colón. Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography. Hill & Wang. 160p. ISBN 978-0-8090-2684-5. $30. pap. ISBN 978-0-8090-2685-2. $16.95.
From the illustrators who took a graphic approach to the 9/11 Report and Che Guevera, an authorized account of the life of Anne Frank and her father’s publication of her diary after her death. Ready for a whole new generation to discover.

Jessop, Carolyn with Laura Palmer. Triumph: Life After the Cult—A Survivor’s Lessons. Broadway. May 2010. ISBN 978-0-3075-9070-1 . $25.99.
When she was 18, Jessop, who was born and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was forced into a polygamous marriage with a stranger several decades her senior. In Escape, she relates how she wriggled free—with all her eight children. Here’s a post-Escape assessment, explaining how she has coped—even when one daughter returned to the church.

Kumar, Manjit. Quantum: Einstein, Bohr, and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality. Norton. May 2010. 464p. ISBN 978-0-393-07829-9. $27.95.
Quantum mechanics, a theory about the nature of matter on the subatomic level that caused a revolution in early 20th-century science, sharply divided Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. We’re still trying to make sense of it today. Here, the founding editor of Prometheus sheds a little light (particles? or waves?) on the subject. Physics is hot right now, with lots of books slated for the coming months, e.g., Chad Orzel’s How To Teach Physics to Your Dog—and this looks like a good foundational book from someone who can talk to nonscientists.

Kuttner, Robert. A Failure of Nerve: Obama’s Promise and the Enduring Power of Wall Street. Metropolitan: Holt. ISBN 978-0-8050-9135-9. $25.
The author of the best-selling Obama’s Challenge keeps up the drumbeat, arguing that Obama must continue pressuring Wall Street, which even now is trying to roll back recently instituted reforms. As a senior adviser to the congressional panel overseeing the bank bailout, Kuttner should know.

McCrum, Robert. Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language. Norton. May 2010. 352p. ISBN 978-0-393-06255-7. $26.95.
How did tiny England and its backwoods transatlantic colony become such dominant world powers? By the power of their common language, says McCrum, coauthor of The Story of English. And how did English manage to prevail? Read the book. Hint: according to McCrum, English + Microsoft=Globish. With a four-city tour to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

Miller, Marla R. Betsy Ross and the Making of America. Holt. May 2010. 480p. ISBN 978-0-8050-8297-5. $30.
Since childhood, we’ve all heard the story of Betsy Ross’s creating the American flag. But there seems never to have been a full-length biography of her. I love this idea, and it ties in so nicely with T.H. Breen’s American Insurgents, American Patriots, previewed above.

Moore, Wes. The Other Wes Moore: The Story of One Name and Two Fates. Spiegel & Grau. May 2010. 288p. 978-0-385-52819-1. $25.
Rhodes scholar. Army captain. White House Fellow. One of Crain’s “Top Young Business Leaders.” And one of People’s “Most Eligible Bachelors.” Moore has it all—including a name he shares with a man born in his neighborhood in the same year who is now serving a life sentence in prison. Here he tells their dual stories, using them to explain the difficulties young men—and particularly young African American men—face in America. Important, especially for urban libraries nationwide.

Nicolson, Adam. Sissinghurst, An Unfinished Story: The Quest To Restore a Working Farm at Vita Sackville-West’s Legendary Garden. Viking. May 2010. 352p. ISBN 978-0-670-02173-4. $27.95.
Grandson of Vita Sackville-West, William Heineman Prize winner Nicolson knew the famed gardens at Sissinghurst personally. Now they are run by the National Trust, which he persuaded to restore the orchards and livestock he remembered so well. For both Anglophiles and sustainability fans.

Olds, Robin with Christina Olds & Ed Rasimus. Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-0-312-56023-2. $26.99.
West Point grad, National College Football hall of famer, World War II ace, and an important military presence during the Vietnam War, Olds had some life. Retired USAF pilot Rasimus joins with Olds’s daughter to compile Olds’s papers and complete his book.

Philbrick, Nathaniel. The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Viking. May 2010. 480p. ISBN 978-0-670-02172-7. $29.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
Philbrick’s Mayflower was a New York Times best book, and his In the Heart of the Sea was a National Book Award winner. Clearly, he’s great at history, so read his account of Custer’s Last Stand—also, alas, the end of the road for the Cheyenne and Sioux, even as they won the fight. With a 15-city tour.

Smith, Ian K., M.D. Happy: Simple Steps To Get the Most Out of Life. St. Martin’s. May 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-0-312-60635-0. $23.99. CD: MacMillan Audio.
Smith’s fat-smash diet has helped millions loss weight. But he soon realized that while weight loss could help make people happy, it’s not the momentary thrill of getting something you want but the long-term sense of being someone you want that really delivers the goods. And now he’s expanded that simple insight into a full-length book. With a national tour.

Thomas, Evan. The War Lovers: Roosevelt, Lodge, Hearst, and the Rush to Empire, 1898. Little, Brown. May 2010. 432p. ISBN 978-0-316-00409-1. $29.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
Remember the Maine? The explosion that destroyed it in the Havana harbor in February 1898 was likely an onboard accident, but fabricated evidence was used as a pretext for declaring war against Spain. Thomas, assistant managing editor at Newsweek, writes a ripping story of empire building. With a six-city tour to Washington, DC, Boston, New York, Portland (ME), San Francisco, and Philadelphia.

Torres, Dara. Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program. Broadway. May 2010. 240p. ISBN 978-0-7679-3194-6. $25.99.
How to get fit—although maybe not as fit as 40-plus Olympian.

van Ogtrop, Kristin. Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom. Little, Brown. Apr. 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-0-316-06828-4. $24.99.
With husband, kids, and a busy job, the editor of Real Simple magazine does not have a simple life. Here are some reflections on how she manages. How-to humor: a new genre.