Prepub Alert
By Barbara Hoffert -- Library Journal, 01/15/2010
Allende, Isabel. Island Beneath the Sea. Harper: HarperCollins. May 2010. 464p. ISBN 978-0-06-198824-0. $26.99. CD: HarperAudio.Born of an African woman and one of the white sailors who brought her to the New World in chains, teenaged slave Zarité (called Tété) is purchased by young Toulouse Valmorain, just sent from France to manage the family plantation on Saint-Domingue. Then fate (and the revolution instigated by Touissant L'Ouverture) intervenes. Allende's first novel in four years; interesting resonances here with works by Maryse Condé and Madison Smartt Bell and Marlon James's The Book of Night Women, an LJ Best Book of 2009. With a one-day laydown on April 27 and a 250,000-copy first printing; ten-city tour.
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 confronts social change—with 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.
Barry, Brunonia. The Map of True Places. Morrow. May 2010. 432p. ISBN 978-0-06-162478-0. $25.99. lrg. prnt.
A wild child after her mother takes her own life, Zee Finch grows up to become a highly regarded psychotherapist. Then a particularly difficult patient commits suicide. Barry's The Lace Reader was, of course, a huge hit last year, but this book feels quite different, so let's see what happens. With a one-day laydown on May 4; 250,000-copy first printing, seven-city tour, and reading group guide.
Blum, Jenna. The Stormchasers. Dutton. May 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-525-95155-1. $25.95.
When Karena's bipolar twin, Charles, started chasing storms as a teenager, she started chasing him. Twenty years later, he's disappeared from a psychiatric ward, and she's at it again. Blum's first novel, Those Who Save Us, was a prize winner and did time on various best sellers lists, so check this out. With a five-city tour; reading group guide.
Brown, Dale. Executive Intent. Morrow. May 2010. 432p. ISBN 978-0-06-156085-9. $26.99.
In Brown's latest, America and China are in an escalating arms-in-space race. For all technonuts; with a one-day laydown on April 27 and a 200,000-copy first printing.
Child, Lee. 61 Hours: A Reacher Novel. Delacorte. May 2010. 400p. ISBN 978-0-385-34058-8. $28. CD: Random Audio.
Trapped in a South Dakota town, Jack Reacher is asked by a local cop to protect the only witness who can help put away a brutal crime ring. A second Reacher novel, linked to this one, is promised in fall 2010. With a ten- to 15-city tour by request; buy multiples.
Cleage, Pearl. Till You Hear from Me. One World: Ballantine. May 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-345-50637-5. $25.
An Obama campaign worker who already feels sidelined must return home to help her father in the fictional West End, Atlanta, community that has served as setting for most of Cleage's novels. Fans will cozy up; Cleage's books have been Oprah, Essence, and Go On Girl! book club picks.
Doyle, Roddy. The Dead Republic. Viking.May 2010. 336p. ISBN 978-0-670-02177-2. $26.95.
Irish rebel Henry Smart is back. Having found his way to Hollywood and promptly repudiated a sentimental film John Ford has made about him, he settles quietly near Dublin, until a 1974 bombing brings out his role in the Easter Uprising and the fledgling IRA. Gold for discriminating readers.
Eastland, Sam. Eye of the Red Tsar. Bantam. May 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-553-80781-3. $25. CD: Random Audio.
Once adviser to Tsar Nicholas II, Pekkala has been exiled to chilly Siberia. Now he's promised his freedom if he will investigate exactly how the tsar and his family met their fate. Given the success of Soviet/Russia-based fiction like Child 44, the publisher is feeling a rush of enthusiasm for this first novel.
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. 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 and returns to Singapore to put her past in order. Farooki's debut, Bitter Sweets, got an Orange Award for New Writers nomination, and Corner Shop won raves, so she is clearly building. Big reading group campaign.
George, Elizabeth. This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel. Harper: HarperCollins. May 2010. 640p. ISBN 978-0-06-116088-2. $28.99. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio.
Fans have been hotly divided by the recent Inspector Lynley novels, with some put off by the murder of Lynley's wife and his subsequent minor-key investigations and others enthralled by the emotional layering now evident. This latest might please everyone; Lynley is still on leave but is called in to investigate a murder in a remote cemetery. Seems that his old team doesn't trust the new boss. With a one-day laydown on April 20 and a 300,000-copy first printing; six-city tour.
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.May 2010. 416p. ISBN 978-0-06-165595-1. $25.95.
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. 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 held captive in Pakistan, Sonia Laghari—devout and a Jungian—emerges as their leader. Even as her ex-soldier son plans a rescue, the terrorists decide they will kill their captives one by one to avenge crimes committed against their country. Another good Gruber 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? “Intelligent, insightful…refreshing, amusing” (LJ 11/1/03). With a six-city tour, 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). Here, Maya Lange is 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; reading group guide.
Huston, James W. Falcon Seven. St. Martin's. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-312-36432-8. $24.99.
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 at the International Criminal Court—seems that they actually hit a makeshift hospital for Afghan refugees. Now the National Security Counsel is pressuring President Obama to rescue the pilots by force, but he wants to cooperate—infuriating the Navy SEAL lawyer set to defend them. A political hot potato from a best-selling author.
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—apparently, this region was the site of a top-secret Nazi camp. Knox's 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; obviously, buy big, and alert your reading groups (there's a guide). With a 500,000-copy first printing.
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 ends. A nice pairing with Allende's Island Beneath the Sea, above, but this book is important 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.
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, there's 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 student 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 60,000-copy first printing and a six-city tour, plus a reading group guide.
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 single-handedly.
Perry, Thomas. Strip. Houghton Harcourt. May 2010. 352p. ISBN 978-0-15-101522-1. $26.
Strip club owner Manco Kapak has been robbed. His minions are fingering the wrong guy. Meanwhile, the thief and his girlfriend, too dumb to know not to rob a gangster type, are thinking that the crime life is fun. Wacked-out mystery for wacked-out mystery fans.
Pickard, Nancy. The Scent of Rain and Lightning. Ballantine. May 2010. 336p. ISBN 978-0-345-47101-7. $25.
She's a Macavity, Anthony, and Agatha Award winner and a four-time Edgar nominee, but Pickard seems to have moved beyond the mystery genre with recent books like The Virgin of Small Plains. In her new work, English teacher Jody Linder discovers that the man convicted of murdering her father is being released from prison and is returning to town with his attorney son to establish his innocence. Expect interest.
Preston, Douglas & Lincoln Child. Fever Dream. Grand Central. May 2010. 400p. ISBN 978-0-446-55496-1. $26.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
This is a tough case for Agent Pendergast; his wife has been murdered. How will he fare compared with Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley (see above)? For now, buy lots.
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. Here, in what is surely the most daring pairing so far, proclaimed atheist Pullman, author of “His Dark Materials” trilogy, questions the events of the Gospels and puts forth his own tale. Interesting to see what challenges libraries might get 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; 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.
Margaret Mayfield is finally getting married—to naval officer and respected scientist Capt. Andrew Jackson Jefferson Early, no less. Alas, he's completely obsessed with his work, and by World War II—after decades of marriage—this obsession is becoming dangerous. Smiley goes historical—and she always knows her stuff. With a six-city tour; reading group guide.
Solares, Martin. The Black Minutes. Black Cat. May 2010. 288p. ISBN 978-0-8021-7068-2. pap. $14.
A journalist killed in a Mexican port town had been writing a book about the murder of several schoolgirls 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.” 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' wealthy families. As he reconstructs the author's life, protégé Miguel 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.
Turow, Scott. Innocent. Grand Central. May 2010. 448p. ISBN 978-0-446-56242-3. $27.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
Finally, a sequel to Presumed Innocent. Rusty Sabich's wife has met a questionable death, which (once more) puts Rusty up against prosecutor Tommy Molto. Turow hasn't faded in 20 years, so this should be big.
Weisberger, Lauren. Untitled. S. & S. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-1-4391-3661-4. $25.95. CD/eAudio: S. & S. Audio.
Girl meets boy, girl supports boy as he struggles to make it as a rock star, then girl gets dumped for a supermodel. A revenge story from the author of The Devil Wears Prada; buy multiples. With a ten-city tour.
NONFICTION
Alter, Jonathan. President Obama: Inside the Early Days. S. & S. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-1-4391-0119-3. $27. CD/eAudio: S. & S. Audio.
Newsweek/NBC political reporter Alter, author of The Defining Moment (on FDR's first 100 days), has known Obama for nearly a decade. So he seems like the right guy to offer an account of Obama's first moves in office. Look carefully; the title may change.
Barry, Dave. I'll Mature When I'm Dead: Dave Barry's Amazing Tale of Adulthood. Putnam. May 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-385-15650-2. $24.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
If you know Barry, you'll know that these original pieces on the joys of growing up are not prime examples of suave, sophisticated, adult humor. Enjoy anyway.
Bradlee, Ben & Quinn Bradlee. A Life's Work: Fathers and Sons. S. & S. May 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-684-80895-6. $19.99.
The longtime editor of the Washington Post holds a dialog with his son on fathering. I'm often skeptical of such works, but Bradlee senior is a sharp guy—and a best-selling author. Take a look.
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 we forget that the Colonists who sought freedom from England were rebels—or, in the words of Northwestern University history professor Breen, insurgents, ordinary men and women willing to kill and get killed for their beliefs. Here's a timely reminder.
Bryant, Howard. The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron. Pantheon. May 2010. 608p. ISBN 978-0-375-42485-4. $29.95. CD: S. & S. Audio.
ESPN.com's Bryant “slams” home a comprehensive biography of heavy-hitter Aaron. With a 75,000-copy first printing; solid sports work.
Bush, Laura. Spoken from the Heart. Scribner. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-1-4391-5520-2. $30. CD/eAudio: S. & S.
The publicity says this memoir by Laura Bush is intimate and startling. We'll see. Especially important in Red States.
Charleson, Susannah. Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search and Rescue Dog. Houghton Harcourt. Apr. 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-547-15244-8. $26.
Spotting the photo of a search-and-rescue dog at work after the Oklahoma bombing, Charleson soon teams up with strong-willed Golden Retriever Puzzle. With an 11-city tour.
Davis, Kenneth C. A Nation Rising: Untold Tales of Flawed Founders, Fallen Heroes, and Forgotten Fighters from America's Hidden History. Smithsonian: HarperCollins. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-06-111820-3. $26.99.
In this follow-up to the best-selling America's Hidden History, Davis uses six narratives, e.g., Aaron Burr's trial, to track America's growth in the early 1800s. Good popular history; with a 75,000-copy first printing.
Feiler, Bruce. The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me. Morrow. May 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-0-06-177876-6. $22.99.
Diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Feiler put together a “council” of six men whom he believed would be good surrogate dads to guide his young daughters were he to die. Could be treacly, but Feiler effectively managed intimacy and insight in his Bible books (e.g., Walking the Bible). With a 200,000-copy first printing; six-city tour.
Franklin, Kirk. The Blueprint: A Plan for Overcoming Life's Obstacles. Gotham: Penguin Group (USA). May 2010. 256p. ISBN 978-1-59240-547-3. $25.
The biggest-selling gospel singer in Neilsen Soundscan history, Franklin was abandoned by both parents. Here he offers the blueprint for the responsible adult behavior he never saw himself. 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.
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 have been done nearly to death in recent years, so it's refreshing to get a thoroughgoing biography of a significant politician whose career ranged up to the time of the young Lincoln.
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.
The eldest son of Jordan's King Hussein, 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. Both a memoir and a frank discussion of how to solve problems in the Middle East.
Isay, Dave. Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from the StoryCorps Project. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). May 2010. 208p. ISBN 978-1-59420-261-2. $21.95.
Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected oral histories from more than 50,000 Americans in all 50 states. Here, Isay focuses on the stories of moms. Inspirational; with a five- to seven-city tour.
Jacobson, Sid & Ernie Colon. Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography. Hill & Wang.May 2010. 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, an authorized account of the life of Anne Frank and the publication of her diary. 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. 288p. ISBN 978-0-307-59070-1. $25.99.
Life post-Escape, which related how Jessop, raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, wriggled free with her eight children (one has since returned to the church).
Johnson, Ian. A Mosque in Munich: Nazis, the CIA, and the Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West. Houghton Harcourt. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-15-101418-7. $27.
The story of a group of Soviet Muslims who defected to Germany during World War II and the postwar efforts of both U.S. and West German intelligence to exploit them for propaganda purposes; from a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist. I haven't seen anything else on this topic.
Kirkpatrick, Sidney D. Hitler's Holy Relics: A True Story of Nazi Plunder and the Race To Recover the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. S. & S. May 2010. 352p. ISBN 978-1-4165-9062-0. $27.
Tracking down the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, stolen by the Nazis to legitimize the Third Reich. A filmmaker and best-selling author of books like A Cast of Killers, Kirkpatrick is more likely to turn in a rollicking adventure story than a studious tale like Lynn Nichols's The Rape of Europa. With a four-city tour.
Kuttner, Robert. A Failure of Nerve: Obama's Promise and the Enduring Power of Wall Street. Metropolitan: Holt. May 2010. 288p. ISBN 978-0-8050-9135-9. $25.
The author of the best-selling Obama's Challenge pressures Obama to counter Wall Street's efforts to roll back recently instituted reforms. As a senior adviser to the congressional panel overseeing the bank bailout, Kuttner should know.
LaPorte, Nicole. The Men Who Would Be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and a Company Called DreamWorks. Houghton Harcourt. May 2010. 448p. ISBN 978-0-547-13470-3. $28.
A former reporter for Variety, LaPorte profiles three men—Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenberg—to tell the story of a cinema empire called DreamWorks. Broad appeal for cinephiles and business types.
Madden, Bill. Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball. Harper: HarperCollins. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-06-169031-0. $26.99. lrg. prnt.
Having spent 30 years covering baseball for the New York Daily News, Madden is well placed to write this biography of irrepressible Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Likely a standout among the spring baseball titles; with a 100,000-copy first printing.
Miller, Marla R. Betsy Ross and the Making of America. Holt. May 2010. 480p. ISBN 978-0-8050-8297-5. $30.
Has there ever been a full-length biography of Betsy Ross? I love this idea, and it fits 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. ISBN 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 also shares a name with a man born in his neighborhood in the same year and now serving a life sentence in prison. He uses their dual stories to explain the difficulties facing young men, particularly young African American men. Important, especially for urban libraries nationwide.
Okrent, Daniel. Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, 1920–1933. Scribner. May 2010. 512p. ISBN 978-0-7432-7702-0. $35. CD/eAudio: S. & S. Audio.
The basis for a Ken Burns PBS documentary, so it will get lots of attention; buy accordingly. With a five-city tour.
Parker-Pope, Tara. For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage. Dutton. May 2010. 288p. ISBN 978-0-525-95138-4. $25.95.
Parker-Pope's Well generates more comments than any other New York Times blog. So her reflections on staying happily married—backed with statistics, e.g., the correlation of divorce and the frequency of eye-rolling is 70 percent—should be a hit.
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. So read his account of Custer's Last Stand. With a 15-city tour.
Queen Latifah. Put Your Crown On: Life Lessons from the Queen. Grand Central. May 2010. 100p. ISBN 978-0-446-55589-0. $18. CD: Hachette Audio.
Yes, self-help is always best—or at least it sells best—when it comes from a star. Help yourself if you have the right audience for this.
Richards, Susan. Saddled: How a Spirited Horse Reined Me in and Set Me Free. Houghton Harcourt. May 2010. 224p. ISBN 978-0-547-24172-2. $24.
Richards's Chosen by a Horse, an account of her relationship with an abused mare she nursed back to health, was a Discover Great New Writers and a BookSense pick. This new work is even more intimate, explaining how Richards—freed by her newfound bond with a powerful Morgan named Georgia—finally admitted to herself that she was an alcoholic. Not just for horse lovers.
Roubini, Nouriel & Stephen Mihm. Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). May 2010. 288p. ISBN 978-1-59420-250-6. $27.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
In 2005, NYU economics professor Roubini warned that housing prices would soon collapse, bringing down the economy. In 2006, he told the International Monetary Fund that a deep recession was coming our way. No one believed him then, but we do now. Important.
Sanford, Jenny. Staying True. Ballantine. May 2010. 240p. ISBN 978-0-345-52239-9. $25. CD: Random Audio.
Given all the media hoopla, Sanford's tale of staying true to herself after the public disclosure of the infidelity of her husband, South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, should attract a big readership. Billed as inspirational advice about not just taking it on the chin.
Sheehy, Gail. Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence. Morrow. May 2010. 368p. ISBN 978-0-06-166120-4. $27.99. lrg. prnt.
Sheehy's Passages was a New York Times best seller for three full years. That was back in the late Seventies, so though she's written plenty since then, she won't be a household name to everyone. On the other hand, in one in four of those households, someone is caring for an adult over 50, which makes this book particularly relevant. With a 150,000-copy first printing; Sheehy is AARP's caregiving ambassador.
Smith, Ian K. 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 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.
Swanson, James L. Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln's Corpse. Morrow. May 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-0-06-123378-4. $26.99. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio
When Lincoln was assassinated, it was assumed that Confederate president Jefferson Davis was the mastermind. Swanson recounts the hunt for Davis even as Lincoln's body was borne to its resting place. Manhunt, Swanson's account of the assassination itself, was a huge best seller—and it's slated for an eight-part HBO miniseries. This will be big, too. With a one-day laydown on April 4 and a 250,000-copy first printing; seven-city tour.
Syed, Mathew. Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Tiger, and the Science of Success. Harper: HarperCollins. May 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-06-172375-9. $25.99. lrg. prnt.
BBC commentator and former Olympian Syed considers what sports tell us about ourselves and about society. Even a nonathlete like me would read this book; in fact, I'm betting it's not for the beer-swilling fans. With a 100,000-copy first printing.
Williams, Thomas Chatterton. Losing My Cool: Growing Up with—and Out of—Hip-hop Culture. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). May 2010. 224p. ISBN 978-1-59420-263-6. $25.95.
Williams's dad made sure that his son studied hard for the SATs, but Williams himself reveled in hip-hop. Here's how he finally made the choice between the two cultures. His Washington Post op-ed piece, “Yes, Blame Hip-Hop,” bagged a record-breaking number of comments. But even if you didn't know that, you could bet that this book has great potential.
