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Big Books of the Week

Three-Inch Teeth (Joe Pickett Bk. 24) by C.J. Box (Putnam) leads holds this week.

Other titles in demand include:

After Annie by Anna Quindlen (Random)

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange (Knopf)

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen (Del Rey: Ballantine)

Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley (MCD)

These books and others publishing the week of February 26, 2024, are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Three LibraryReads and seven Indie Next picks publish this week:

After Annie by Anna Quindlen (Random)

“The aftermath of grief following the unexpected death of Annie is told through the eyes of husband Bill, 13-year-old daughter, Ali, and best friend, Annemarie. Written with tenderness and raw emotion, the novel lets readers see into the hearts of these characters as they deal with the day-to-day realities of surviving life minus the person they most loved.”—Sarah Siegel, Long Beach Public Library, NY

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Anna Quindlen returns with a poignant novel of grief, friendship, and fortitude. Anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one will appreciate After Annie and the hope it delivers. Read it for yourself, give it as a gift, share it.”—Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange (Knopf)

“Orange’s second novel is a stunning achievement, depicting over a century’s worth of atrocities against the indigenous people of America, while also being a multigenerational family story full of the richly drawn, fascinating characters, first introduced in There, There.”—Rachel Rooney Mid-Continent Public Library, MO

It is also the #1 Indie Next pick:

“Wandering Stars is an epic tale grounded in truth and elevated by Tommy Orange’s phenomenal storytelling. He brings a gruesome slice of US history to life and gives voice to a generation of Native people who live its legacy.”—Claire Benedict, Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, VT

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen (Del Rey: Ballantine)

“We’re all used to the Viking stories that center around men. This story features Freya who has to marry a fanatical chieftain to protect her family and her land. She’s been blessed with magical powers and it's been foretold that she’ll be the one to unite the kingdoms. This is a great start to a new series that will appeal to everyone who enjoys nonstop action with a strong female warrior and a steamy love story to boot.”—Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, TX

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“A Fate Inked in Blood is a riveting starter to what will no doubt be another steamy, wondrous fantasy series by Jensen. The lore is complex and the characters are quick to cut, with a cliffhanger that left me hungry for the next installment.”—Isabel Agajanian, The Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL

Four additional Indie Next picks publish this week:

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray (Holt)

“A rollicking romance with a married man explores the whys and wherefores of a relationship destined for disaster, as the ‘other woman’ navigates and attempts to rationalize her forbidden love. Funny, fast, and unique in a delectable way.”—Seth Tucker, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley (MCD)

“Grief has deepened Crosley’s craft. This memoir is the funniest book of the year, as any of her readers would expect, but it’s also profound and heartbreaking. She is our Nora Ephron; we’re lucky to have her.”—Sarah McNally, McNally Jackson Books, New York, NY

Piglet by Lottie Hazell (Holt)

“Lottie Hazell manages to brilliantly articulate the societal pressures placed on women to be the perfect cook, the perfect wife, the perfect friend, the perfect daughter: to be and do it all. A timeless story told in a new, unique way.”—Lauren Nopenz Fairley, Curious Iguana, Frederick, MD

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard (Atria; LJ starred review)

“This immersive story of a young girl falling in love is complicated by the fact that her home valley borders two other valleys where the past and future live — and no interaction is allowed. Sometimes, borders must be crossed. A new favorite.”—Beth Mynhier, Lake Forest Book Store, Lake Forest, IL

In the Media

People’s book of the week is After Annie by Anna Quindlen (Random). Also getting attention are Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley (MCD) and Green Dot by Madeleine Gray (Holt). A “Delicious Food Novels” section includes: The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai (Putnam; LJ starred review), Piglet by Lottie Hazell (Holt), and Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford (Pamela Dorman: Viking). 

The “Picks” section spotlights Dune: Part Two, based on the novel by Frank Herbert, and Hulu’s Shogun, based on the novel by James Clavell. There is a Q&A with Savannah Guthrie about her new book, Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere (Thomas Nelson). A feature on master spy Jonna Mendez highlights her new book, In True Face: A Woman’s Life in the CIA, Unmasked (PublicAffairs), which publishes next week; People Online also has an exclusive. Olympic gold medal–winning figure skater and author Scott Hamilton, Fritzy Finds a Hat: A Gentle Tale To Help Talk with Children About Cancer illus. by Brad Paisley (Forefront), shares a health update. Plus, recipes from Kat Ashmore, Big Bites: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun (Rodale), and Radhi Devlukia-Shetty, JoyFull: Cook Effortlessly, Eat Freely, Live Radiantly (S. & S./Simon Element).

Reviews

NYT reviews A Woman of Pleasure by Kiyoko Murata (Counterpoint): “Small rebellions bloom as the prostitutes grow more confident in their rights. Ichi and her peers find hope in organized resistance, with their collective humanity in the face of brutality forming Murata’s irrefutable and beautiful argument”; American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden by Katie Rogers (Crown): “Whatever happens in November, those who would like to see a real shift in what a first lady means and what she can do will likely have to wait awhile longer” ; Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher (S. & S.): “The story of her change of heart is thus undercut by the self-aggrandizing portrait that rests stubbornly at its core”; Blue Lard by Vladimir Sorokin, tr. by Max Lawton (NYRB Classics): “Blue Lard features a world largely bereft of meaning, love, moral concern or many of the other familiar signposts of fiction. In its place is a new vocabulary, a free-floating grammar of debasement and ecstasy”; The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin (One World): “Ruffin’s vibrant novel reminds us that we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to a truthful reckoning with our violent past and its impact on the present day”; and The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq by Steve Coll (Penguin Pr.): “Unlike his main character, Coll succeeds in part because he has an eye for dramatic irony.” Plus, there are short reviews of three slow-burn thrillers: The Split by Kit Frick (Atria/Emily Bestler), Big Time by Ben H. Winters (Mulholland), and What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan (Morrow).

Washington Post reviews The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft (Bloomsbury; LJ starred review): “Like her 2019 memoir, Homesick, Croft’s novel is interlarded with beguiling photos. They add to the display of creativity on show—a frequently dizzying display, which leaves the reader both disoriented and exhilarated”; and A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging by Lauren Markham (Riverhead): “What she comes away with in this strange and intriguing book is a story about Greece and what it represents.”

Datebook reviews Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange (Knopf): “Wandering Stars is by turns bleak, infuriating and achingly sad. But it’s also gorgeously written, culturally relevant—especially with chapters titled ‘Who Can Say Indian?’—and a quick (dare I say hopeful) study of the human condition.”

LA Times reviews Ours by Phillip B. Williams (Viking): “Ours, for all its elements of magic, fantasy and mythology, is a realistic depiction of how we might arrive at utopia: through people who are always trying to become, always finding ways to navigate and survive harsh realities, always reaching for moments of joy and intimacy.”

Briefly Noted

The 2023 Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer Award shortlist is announced.

The 2024 Prix Bob Morane finalists are announced; Locus reports. 

Yale University Press Director John Donatich announces his retirement.

FoxNews shares details about Eric Clapton from Jenny Boyd’s new book, Icons of Rock: In Their Own Words (The Truth Behind Famous Songs) (Mango). 

NYT features Elizabeth Comen and her book, All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today (Harper Wave). 

CrimeReads suggests 10 new books for the week.

Authors on Air

Billy Dee Williams discusses his “adventurous life” and new memoir, What Have We Here?: Portraits of a Life (Knopf), with CBS Sunday Morning. 

Oppenheimer, based on American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Martin Sherwin and Kai Bird, wins the Darryl F. Zanuck Award at the Producer’s Guild Awards. Variety has the story.

Katherine Arden, The Warm Hands of Ghosts (Del Rey: Ballantine; LJ starred review), and Yangsze Choo, The Fox Wife (Holt), visit B&N's Poured Over podcast.

Kara Swisher, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story (S. & S.), visits Today. She will also appear on The View on Tuesday. 

Dr. Phil, We’ve Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America’s Soul and Sanity (Threshold Editions), will appear on The View. 

Nicole Berrie, Body Harmony : Nourishing, Plant-Based Recipes for Intuitive Eating (Abrams), drops by The Tamron Hall Show. 

Savannah Guthrie, Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere (Thomas Nelson), will be on with Kelly Clarkson today.

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