Prepub Exploded: April 2011, Pt. 1
By Barbara Hoffert Oct 7, 2010In this edition of Prepub Exploded, an expanded version of Prepub Alert, there's good historical fiction by the likes of Louis Bayard, Michelle Moran, and S.J. Parris and nonfiction by authors ranging from Diane Ackerman to James Stewart.
Fiction
Allen, Sarah Addison. The Peach Keeper. Bantam. Mar. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780553807226. ebook: 9780553908138. $25.
Her marriage a shambles, Willa Jackson returns home to Walls of Water, the town where she grew up, and tries to fit in. There she discovers an extraordinary feud that has divided two sisters for decades and meets a quiet brooder who could be the man of her dreams. Hmm, Allen's standard small-town charm, maybe not the usual flights of fantasy-but then I haven't read it yet. Allen's best sellers are all book club favorites, and there will be lots of promotion, including to libraries and cooking/foodie web sites.
Baldacci, David. The Sixth Man. Grand Central. Apr. 2011. 416p. ISBN 9780446573108. $27.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
Not much information here-all I can say is that it's another King and Maxwell book-but it's coming and it will be big. Buy multiples.
Bayard, Louis. The School of Night. Holt. Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780805090697. $25.
Why has outcast Elizabethan scholar Henry Cavendish been hired by antiquities collector Bernard Styles to find a 1600s letter stolen from Styles by Henry's friend Alonzo Wax, now dead? Because the letter could establish that in Elizabethan times there really was a group of men called the School of Night (a term taken later from Shakespeare's Love's Labour Lost) who met to discuss God, politics, and the black arts. Bayard, who's successfully looked to the past in his last few novels, here adds a neat touch of the supernatural; good for all historical fiction collections.
Berg, Elizabeth. Once Upon a Time, There Was You. Random. Apr. 2011. 208p. ISBN 9781400068654. ebook: ISBN 9781588368935. $25. lrg. prnt. CD: Random Audio.
Divorced couple John and Irene barely speak-until something awful happens to their beloved 16-year-old daughter, Sadie. Classic Berg, who's always beloved if not always tip-top best seller; with an eight-city tour to Boston, Miami, Chicago/Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Omaha, St. Louis, Wichita, and Denver.
Bezmozgis, David. The Free World. Farrar. Apr. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780374281403. $26.
Famously one of The New Yorker's 20 Under 40 this past summer, having published only the elegantly incisive Natasha, a multi-award-winning collection, Bezmozgis offers a debut novel about an extended Russian Jewish family that in 1978 immigrates to Italy. There, in a story that nicely compacts the emigre experience and family tensions recognizable to us all, they await the chance to go farther afield. Don't miss this! Here's an excerpt.
Brockmann, Suzanne. Breaking the Rules. Ballantine. Apr. 2011. 416p. ISBN 9780345521224. ebook: ISBN 9780345521248. $26. CD/MP3: Random Audio.
Navy SEAL Izzy Zanella and wife Eden Gillman are estranged and barely civil, but they agree to reconcile so that they can obtain custody of Eden's little brother, who's being abused by his stepfather. Two-time RITA award winner Brockmann has nearly six million books in print, lots of New York Times best sellers (though none in the top slot yet), and two more books under contract with Ballantine. Can't miss; consider multiples.
Conlon, Edward. Red on Red. Spiegel & Grau. Apr. 2011. 464p. ISBN 9780385519175. ebook: ISBN 9780679604419. $26. CD: Random.
Now serving in Jordan with the NYPD's International Division, Detective Conlon has published in The New Yorker and is author of the best-selling memoir Blue Blood, a National Book Critics Circle finalist. So he can write. This debut novel, which limns the bond between two very different detectives (rough'n'ready vs. slightly mystic), should ring true. With a six-city tour to Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
My Pick
Davis-Gardner, Angela. Butterfly's Child. Dial. Apr. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780385340946. ebook: ISBN 9780679604587. $25.
After the death of Butterfly, what happened to her son, Benji? According to this gloss on Puccini's much-loved opera, Madame Butterfly, he went to America with his father, Lt. Frank Pinkerton, and encountered shocked intolerance. Since Davis-Gardner is the author of Plum Wine, a top-fifty Book Sense best seller, Kiriyama Prize Notable Book, and (here's a twist) People "Mother's Day Gift Guide: Hot Beach Read," this second novel looks promising indeed. It's already received a North Carolina Council Writing Fellowship, based on the opening chapters, and NPR interviews are assured-good news, because NPR sells books. Not just for the musically astute; the story has broad appeal.
DeWoskin, Rachel. Big Girl Small. Farrar. Apr. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780374112578. $25.
DeWoskin first came to our attention with her memoir, Foreign Babes in Beijing, about her mid-Nineties stint as the star of a Chinese soap opera. What caught my attention was her sharp-eyed debut novel, Repeat After Me, about the relationship between an ESL teacher and a Chinese student. Here she leaves China behind to tell the story of 16-year-old Judy Lohden, potential star at the local performing arts high school except for a scandal she's caused, possibly related to her being under four feet tall. The old high school ache from a very different perspective and from a good writer, too. Watch
Goodwin, Jason. An Evil Eye. Sarah Crichton: Farrar. Apr. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780374110406. $26.
In this fourth adventure in Goodwin's Edgar Award-winning series, noteworthy detective (and eunuch) Yashim investigates the mysterious death of several women in the seraglio's orchestra even as he receives news that his old mentor, the admiral of the Ottoman fleet, has defected to the Egyptians. Good, juicy stuff for the historical mystery crowd.
Goldman, Francisco. Say Her Name. Grove. Apr. 2011. NAp. ISBN 978-0-8021-1981-0. $24.
Never mind that Francisco is 20 years older than Aura; they're in love and marry in 2005 at an old hacienda. Two years later, Aura dies unexpectedly, and a grief-stricken Francisco finds that he's blamed for her death. Novelist/journalist Goldman (The Long Night of White Chickens) has received nice attention over the last 15 years, but I hear this is the one we've been waiting for.
Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs. Broken Promises: A Novel of the Civil War. Ballantine. Apr. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780345524553. ebook: ISBN 9780345524560. pap. $15.
As the Civil War breaks out, Lincoln sends the son of John Quincy Adams to London to persuade the British not to support the Confederacy. It's tough sledding. This trade paperback original is generating some in-house enthusiasm, and it was also awarded a Director's Mention from the Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction. So check it out for your historical fiction buffs.
Kellerman, Jonathan. Mystery: An Alex Delaware Novel. Ballantine. Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780345505699. ebook: ISBN 9780345524386. $28. CD: Random Audio.
Mystery turns out to be the nickname of a young woman found mutilated to death, but before he learns that, Alex Delaware realizes that he's seen her before-two nights ago at a restaurant that was just closing. So much for easy leads. Kellerman is a powerhouse; buy multiples.
Leon, Donna. Drawing Conclusions. Atlantic Monthly. Apr. 2011. NAp. ISBN 9780802119797. $24.
Hard to believe-but let's be grateful-that Commissario Guido Brunetti is on his 20th case. Here, an old woman is found dead, and those bruises could have been sustained as she collapsed to the ground after a heart attack. But Brunetti is suspicious, especially when he hears about the old woman's "terrible honesty." Essential for mystery collections.
Moran, Michelle. Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution. Crown. Apr. 2011. 400p. ISBN 9780307588654. ebook: ISBN 9780307588678. $25.
Having racked up some national best sellers (and LJ stars) with fiction about ancient Egypt (e.g., Nefertiti), Moran leaps to 18th-century France with this book about Madame Marie Tussaud-yes, the Madame Tussaud of wax museum fame. Here, Marie is asked to teach the art of wax sculpting to the sister of Louis XVI-an association that nearly costs her her head when the revolution comes. Moran is a sprightly and gimlet-eyed writer, so this should be fun-and a possible breakout.
Packer, Ann. Swim Back to Me. Knopf. Apr. 2011. 240p. ISBN 9781400044047. ebook: ISBN 9780307595393. $24.95. CD: Random Audio.
Packer triumphed with her best-selling The Dive from Clausen's Pier and followed up with Songs Without Words. Before those novels, however, she had a first collection called Mendocino and Other Stories that included an O. Henry Award winner. Now she's back with another collection, bookended by two novellas, that features men and women, young and old, struggling with loss. Good for your smart readers.
Parris, S.J. Prophecy. Doubleday. Apr. 2011. 320p. ISBN 978-0-385-53130-6. ebook. ISBN 9780385531306. ebook: ISBN 9780385531313. $25.95. CD: Random Audio.
Here's something to read along with Bayard's The School of Night. When one of Queen Elizabeth's maids of honor turns up dead, everyone starts whispering about the black arts-it is, after all, the time of the Great Conjunction, when Jupiter and Saturn are aligned, as occurs about once every 1000 years. An understandably alarmed queen calls in her personal astrologer, John Dee, and Dominican monk/philosopher Giordano Bruno, who shone in Parris's recent debut, Heresy. Parris looks to be and up-and-comer in the historical fiction/mystery arena; buy accordingly.
Perry, Anne. Treason at Lisson Grove: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel. Ballantine. Apr. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780345510587. ebook: ISBN 9780345524416. $26.
So you've been missing Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, last seen in 2008's Buckingham Palace Gardens? They're back, tracking an informer's murderer to France and helping the head of the London Special Branches, who's discovered that a shadow from his past is about to rise again and strike. Since Buckingham sold more than 100,000 copies, expect demand.
Rasmussen, Rebecca. The Bird Sisters. Crown. Apr. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780307717962. ebook: ISBN 9780307717986. $24.
Elderly sisters Milly and Twiss are often greeted by birds, whose heartbeats Milly listens to so that she can cure the woes of the humans whose visits inevitably follow. Back in the late 1940s, their family cracked apart, and a visit from mysterious Cousin Bett derailed them forever. This debut is not positioned to be huge, but it sounds so intriguing that I wanted to cite it. The dedicated author is already organizing publishing events and pushing her online presence, and an excerpt feels homey, conversational, and slightly sly.
My Pick
Shin, Kyung-sook Shin. Please Look After Mom. Knopf. Apr. 2011. 256p. ISBN 9780307593917. ebook: ISBN 97800307595492. $24.95. CD: Random Audio.
One worries about a child getting lost in a crowd, but what about a parent? In Shin's first book translated into English, a million-copy best seller in South Korea that has been sold to 18 countries, a family in from the countryside is separated from Mom in the Seoul train station and spends the rest of the novel hunting for her. At first look, this would appear to be one of those quietly blunt-spoken books that keeps gathering strength, and Shin had the credentials to back great expectations: she's won numerous awards in Korea, plus France's Prix de l'Inaperçu, and she's spending the academic year teaching at Columbia. Could go big; grab the reading group guide.
Stevens, Taylor. The Informationist. Crown. Mar. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780307717092. ebook. ISBN 9780307717115. $23. CD: Random Audio.
Born in Africa of missionary parents and a gunrunner at age 14, Vanessa Monroe now trades in information for CEOs, heads of state, and the like. Then a Texas oil billionaire asks her to return to Africa and find his lost daughter. This thriller is an in-house favorite at Crown, which has signed the author for a two-book deal and is highlighting her unusual background: she was raised in a religious cult whose member scorned education and burned her writings. Lots of foreign rights sales, author events in Houston and Dallas, and a reading group guide.
Wallace, Carol. Leaving Van Gogh. Spiegel & Grau. Apr. 2011. 288p. ISBN 978-1-4000-6879-1. ebook: ISBN 978038532402. $25.
Wallace made her name as coauthor of The Official Preppy Handbook, but here's something entirely different. This debut novel re-creates the final days of Vincent van Gogh from the perspective of his dedicated psychiatric doctor, Paul-Ferdinand Gachet. And who is Wallace to be crafting such a tale? She did just receive a master's in art history from Columbia. For readers who love Susan Vreeland's works and van Gogh generally.
Wallner, Michael. The Russian Affair. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780385532396. ebook: ISBN 978038532402. $25.95.
German author Wallner, who scored an international hit a few years back with April in Paris (which LJ's own Bette-Lee Fox recommended for all fiction collections), moves on from the World War II era to Cold War Moscow. Her father a disgraced poet and her soldier husband assigned seven time zones away, Anna Viktorovna falls for Soviet bigwig Alexey Bulgyakov. Then she's asked to spy on him. Good for the literary thriller crowd; with a reading group guide.
Wolitzer, Meg. The Uncoupling. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9781594487880. $25.95.
I love Aristophanes' Lysistrata-the women refuse to have sex with their men until the men cease waging war. In Wolitzer's fantasia, when the Stellar Plains High School decides to stage the play, female students and teachers alike are oddly influenced by the scenario and lose interest in "coupling" of any sort. Wolitzer did nicely with her latest, The Ten-Year Nap, a New York Times best seller, so look out for this one.
Nonfiction
My Pick
Ackerman, Diane. One Hundred Names for Love: A Stroke, a Marriage, and the Language of Healing. Norton. Apr. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780393072419. $26.95.
Since Ackerman is a master of both poetry and the scientific essay, she would seem well suited to telling this story. More urgently, she's an integral part of it. After suffering a severe stroke, her smart, literate husband, Paul West, could utter only the syllable mem. Traditional therapy didn't help. What did help was Ackerman's determination, as she applied her knowledge of the brain, appreciation of language, and intimate understanding of her husband to the task of healing him; together, they hammered out the path that led West back to words., this is a book about love and caring and the magic of communication; perfect for book clubs.
Blum, Howard. The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the American West and the Yukon Gold Rush. Crown. Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780307461728. ebook: ISBN 9780307461742. $26.
As a history instructor, Blum does a good job-his American Lightning, about the 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times offices, was a best seller and an Edgar Award winner, and he earned an Emmy as producer of the miniseries I Pledge Allegiance. This work focuses on George Carmack, who set off the 1898 Alaska gold rush after discovering a promising lode; Soapy Smith, who aimed to con Carmack out of his riches; and Charlie Siringo, the Pinkerton detective Carmack hired for protection. One of those historical narratives that reads like fiction; a likely choice for discussion groups looking for nonfiction.
Breitbart, Andrew. Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World. Grand Central. Apr. 2011. 288p. ISBN 978-0446572828. $26.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
He runs a news aggregation site, Breitbart.com, while presenting five others-Breitbart.tv, BigHollywood.com, BigGovernment.com, BigJournalism.com, and BigPeace.com. He calls himself a Reagan conservative, and, yes, he's a Tea Partier. Breitbart lets the liberal media and the federal government have it. Bound to raise interest-or ire-so be prepared.
Christensen, Randy, M.D. Ask Me Why I Hurt: The Kids Nobody Wants and the Doctor Who Heals Them. Broadway. Apr. 2011. 288p. ISBN 978-0-307-71899-0. eBook ISBN 978-0-307-71902-7. $24.99.
He's been declared a "CNN Hero" and a "Hero Among Us" by People magazine. Why? Phoenix pediatrician Christensen roams the streets in his Crews'n Healthmobile, providing free mobile health care to thousands of the city's homeless and at risk adolescents each year.. He pointedly argues that these kids aren't "lazy bums" but often survivors of horrific family tragedy or neglect. Not just inspiration but a wake-up call for our entire health system; expect some buzz.
Dubois, Laurent. Haiti: The Aftershocks of History. Metropolitan: Holt. Apr. 2011. 256p. ISBN 9780805093353. $25.
The Caribbean figures largely in April nonfiction (see also Jim Rasenberger's The Brilliant Disaster and Alex von Tunzelmann's Red Heat). Duke University French and history professor Dubois, who's already won kudos for his work on Haiti in Avengers of the New World, here aims for a comprehensive history that grounds the country's troubles in international revulsion at its having managed the world's first and only successful slave revolt. Especially relevant with all eyes turned to Haiti after last January's earthquake, but the issue doesn't stop there.
Dyer, Geoff. Otherwise Known as the Human Condition: Selected Essays and Reviews. Graywolf. Apr. 2011. 432p. ISBN 97801555975791. pap. $18.
Dyer is someone wise readers already follow-his Out of Sheer Rage was a National Book Critics Circle finalist in criticism, and his most recent novel, Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi, set off conversation by being puzzling in a really good way. Here's a compendium of his nonfiction, including essays and reviews ranging over 25 years. Bravo, Graywolf!
Figes, Orlando. The Crimean War: A History. Metropolitan: Holt. Apr. 2011. 608p. ISBN 9780805074604. $35.
Essentially a three-way clash among the British, Turkish, and Russian empires, the Crimean War was famed for military incompetence (think The Charge of the Light Brigade), heroism (think Florence Nightingale), and extraordinary ferocity (nearly a million soldiers and an untold number of civilians died). Wolfson History Prize winner Figes, an expert in Russian history noted for sprightly gems like Natasha's Dance, should do well with this subject. With a national tour.
Flannery, Tim. Here on Earth. Atlantic Monthly. Apr. 2011. NAp. ISBN 9780802119766. $25.
The excellent Flannery-outstanding paleontologist/environmentalist, noted author (Now or Never), and Australian of the Year in 2007 (I love that)-here elucidates two ways of viewing Earth's fate. The Medea hypothesis argues that, left untrammeled, species will exploit their ecosystems to the point of collapse. But James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis sees Earth as a living organism that knows how to adjust. Flannery favors the latter view, seeing Earth as self-regulating and encouraging us to link up with the rest of nature. Good green reading.
Foer, Joshua. Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Apr. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9781594202292. $26.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
Okay, here's an interesting statistic: on average, we spend 40 days a year making up for things we've forgotten. Science journalist Foer couldn't stand it anymore and went into memory training, learning ancient techniques that brought him to the finals of the U.S. Memory Championship. Not a how-to (though we could all learn something here) but an exploration of mind; for a pretty wide audience, with a seven- to ten-city tour and lots of tweets, blogs, and promotions.
Fukuyama, Francis. The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution. Farrar. Apr. 2011. 688p. ISBN 9780374227340. $35.
The man who gave us The End of History and the Last Man now goes back to the beginning of human society in this first of a two-parter. Fukuyama shows how central government and subsequently the concept of accountability evolved, then argues that these two factors are absent or just not functioning in some developing countries-with disastrous consequences. Should stir plenty of debate.
Johnson, Mary. An Unquenchable Thirst: One Woman's Extraordinary Journey of Faith, Hope, and Clarity. Spiegel & Grau. Apr. 2011. 384p. ISBN 9780385527477. ebook: ISBN 9781588369864. $26. CD: Random Audio.
As Sister Donata, Johnson served for 20 years as a Missionary of Charity, a nun in Mother Teresa's order; she was inspired by a picture she saw of Mother Teresa in Time at age 17. Then she left the order and, eventually, the church. Billed as perfect for readers of Karen Armstrong, Kathleen Norris, and Thomas Moore, this should capture the struggle between spiritual and secular and is being given a big, excited push: book club outreach, a seven-city tour (Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, and San Francisco), and praise for the "heavenly" writing.
Judd, Ashley with Maryanne Vollers. All Things Bitter and Sweet. Ballantine. Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780345523617. ebook. ISBN 9780345524829. $25.
Actress Judd, recently seen in Tooth Fairy, is also a committed activist who received a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government (pretty cool) and serves as global ambassador for Population Services International/Youth AIDS. Here, she draws on journals she kept while attending to human rights issues worldwide, using what she experienced to help rethink her own life. Should get some attention.
Kennedy, Miranda. Sideways on a Scooter: Life and Love in India. Random. Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9781400067862. ebook. ISBN 9780679604556. $26.
An interesting complement to Lisa Napoli's forthcoming Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in the Happiest Kingdom on Earth, this book details the author's five years in Delhi, where she worked for National Public Radio and Marketplace Radio. Kennedy profiles the linked lives of six women she knew to show how much (and how mistakenly) the West takes for granted both its own values and the easy modernization of the vast and complex subcontinent. A good book club choice where readers liked Deborah Rodriguez's Kabul Beauty School, Azadeh Moaveni's Honeymoon in Tehran, and anything about India.
Logelin, Matt. Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love. Grand Central. Apr. 2011. 256p. ISBN 978-0446564304. $23.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
What a happy day when little Madeleine was born-and how awful that 27 hours later her mom died of a pulmonary embolism. Logelin here relates how he wrested with the joy, the grief, and the single-handed responsibilities, quitting his job as a project manager at Yahoo! to focus on Maddy and to write this book. Very touching and a little different; should attract interest.
Lovins, L. Hunter & Boyd Cohen. Climate Capitalism: Capitalism in the Age of Climate Change. Hill & Wang. Apr. 2011. 272p. ISBN 9780809034734. $26.
Remember Natural Capitalism? That book, released in 1999, argued that environmentally sound decisions can make for good business. Here, the authors-Time 2000 Hero of the Planet Lovins and C02IMPACT founder Cohen, offer case studies of corporations (GE, Zipcar), startups (Harbec Plastics), and cities (London, Greensburg, KS) that have shown the green approach to be profitable. Take a good look.
McClure, Wendy. The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9781594487804. $25.95.
She wades through Plum Creek. She attends summer pageants in Laura Ingalls Wilder's hometown. She sits through all the TV shows. Little House fanatic (and BUST columnist) McClure invites readers to join "the Wilder life"-and I bet there will be plenty of takers. Fun.
Michaels, Jillian. Unlimited: How To Build an Exceptional Life. Crown Archetype. Apr. 2011. ISBN 9780307588302. ebook: ISBN 9780307588326. $26. CD: Random Audio.
Strength trainer and life coach for NBC's The Biggest Loser (seen by eight million couch potatoes weekly), Michaels is also the author of the best-selling Making the Cut and Master Your Metabolism. Now she goes spiritual in a book that aims to help readers build inner strength. Such a built-in audience; should be big.
Montville, Leigh. Evel Knievel. Doubleday. Apr. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780385527453. ebook: ISBN 9780385533676. $26.95. CD: Random Audio.
We all know Evel Knievel the death-defying stuntman and extreme sportsman before there was any such thing. Now, best-selling author Montville, a former columnist for the Boston Globe and former senior writer at Sports Illustrated, shows us the real Evel. I take it lots of people want to know; there's a 100,000-copy first printing.
Paltrow, Gwyneth. My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family and Togetherness. Grand Central. Apr. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780446557313. $30.
Wow, does everyone cook these days? Academy Award-winning actress Paltrow, who did stovetop duty with her dad, director/producer Bruce Paltrow, shares 150 recipes plus hints on how she gets her own children involved in the kitchen. Especially nice for the starstruck.
Rasenberger, Jim. The Brilliant Disaster: JFK, Castro, and America's Doomed Invasion of Cuba's Bay of Pigs. Scribner. Apr. 2011. 480p. ISBN 9781416596509. $32.
Theodore Draper called the Bay of Pigs invasion "a perfect failure"; 50 years later, Rasenberger (America, 1908) goes one step further. This focused account of the invasion and America's involvement draws new insights from material recently released by the CIA. Bound to be of interest, given the anniversary and current events in Cuba; with a three-city tour to Miami, New York, and Washington, DC.
Robison, John Elder. Be Different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian, with Practical Advice for Aspergians, Misfits, and Their Parents. Crown. Apr. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780307884817. ebook: ISBN 9780307884831. $24.
We first met Robison in brother Augusten Burroughs's eye-popping Running with Scissors. Then Robison himself spoke up, detailing his life with Asperger's syndrome in the best-selling Look Me in the Eye. Here he uses examples from his own life to advise Aspergians and their parents-including his "Mom Army" of over 10,000 online followers-and also shares recent scientific research. The underlying argument: Asperger's is as much about difference as it is about disability. There's an audience; this syndrome is increasingly in the news.
Safina, Carl. Blowout. Crown. Apr. 2011. NAp. ISBN 9780307887351. $23.99.
President and cofounder of the Blue Ocean Institute and a renowned conservationist, Safina has a lot to say about the BP oil spill-just check out the blog on his web site. Here, he focuses on three working families to show how the spill has affected life in the Gulf. Likely one of the first books on the spill and certainly important; note, by the way, that Safina is a MacArthur "Genius Award" recipient.
Shipler, David K. The Rights of the People: How Our Search for Safety Invades Our Liberties. Knopf. Apr. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9781400043620. ebook: ISBN 9780307595508. $26.95.
Author of best sellers like The Working Poor and the Pulitzer Prize winner Arab and Jew, former New York Times journalist Shipler should effectively address a pressing issue of our time: the escalating violation of civil liberties in the last decade. Important and one of the nonfiction titles I most want to see; with a seven-city tour to Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC.
Simone, Alina. You Must Go and Win: Essays. Faber & Faber. Apr. 2011. 240p. ISBN 9780865479159. pap. $14.
The flaming speaker on the cover of Ukrainian-born indie musician Simone's first book probably indicates the tone of the essays inside: edgy, exciting, maybe a bit dangerous. Simone looks back to her Slavic past and forward to her career (does she even want to be a star?) in a work that should be a fun read for the younger crowd.
Stewart, James B. Tangled Webs: How False Statements Are Undermining America; From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9781594202698. $27.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
It's bad enough that we all lie, but folks like Martha Stewart, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and Barry Bonds have lied under oath. That's what has Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author Stewart (Den of Thieves) worried. Here he considers how the perjury epidemic reflects a deeper corrosion of ethics in business, government, academia, and more. With a five- to eight-city tour.
Strawberry, Shirley with Lyah Beth LeFlore. The Strawberry Letter: Real Talk, Real Advice, Because Bitterness Isn't Sexy. One World: Ballantine. Apr. 2011. 192p. ISBN 9780345525505. ebook: 9780345525529. $22. CD: Random Audio.
If you have readers who follow the Steve Harvey Morning Show (as do eight million folks nationwide), you'll want this inspirational title from Harvey's cohost, Strawberry. Lots of tie-ins to events where the show has a presence, including the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans and the Hoodie Awards in Las Vegas.
von Tunzelmann, Alex. Red Heat: Conspiracy, Murder, and the Cold War in the Caribbean. Holt. Apr. 2011. 432p. ISBN 9780805090673. $30.
In the Fifties and Sixties, both U.S. Presidents and Soviet strongmen thought they could use the Caribbean for their own purposes. But they were proved wrong by Cuba's Fidel and Raúl Castro, Haiti's "Papa Doc" Duvalier, and the Dominican Republic's Rafael Trujillo-with a little help from Che Guevara. British historian von Tunzelmann made a name for herself with 2007's Indian Summer; watch this one.
White, Bill with Gordon Dillow. Uppity: A Black Man, a White Ball, and the Games People Play. Grand Central. Apr. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780446555258. $26.99.
White was an All-Star first baseman with the New York Giants, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Philadelphia Phillies, then became a hotshot sportscaster for nearly two decades. He's finally ready to tell his story; as the title suggests, expect him to be pretty brash and upfront.
Willrich, Michael. Pox: An American History. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Apr. 2011. 400p. ISBN 9781594202865. $27.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
This is not just a book about the smallpox epidemic that swept this country at the dawn of the 20th century. Multi-awarding-winning historian Willrich shows that resistance to the federal government's efforts to halt the epidemic by enforcing quarantine and vaccination programs sparked a civil liberties debate that's with us today.
This Just In
Debbie Macomber has published with Harlequin for 28 years-working most of the time with the same editor-so maybe it was time for a change. She's just signed with Ballantine for her next six books, with a seven-figure deal for each book. That's not peanuts, but then she has written over 100 books, with 130 million copies in print, and won more awards (e.g., Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award) than can be easily listed here. No, she won't be changing her style, but the new series will move out of Cedar Cove, long a stand-in for her hometown of Port Orchard, WA, and will be set in Port Orchard itself. At the heart of the series is a bed-and-breakfast, and each book will conclude with the protagonist of the next book making reservations there. What's it like for Macomber to make the switch? "It's scary but exciting," she says. "I've been dancing with the same partner for all these years."
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