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Big Books of the Week

The Judge's List by John Grisham (Doubleday) leads holds this week.

Other titles in demand include:

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout (Random)

Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber (Ballantine)

A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz (Harper)

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca (Berkley)

These books and others publishing the week of October 18th, 2021 are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Awards & News

The Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist is announced. The list includes Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History by Lea Ypi (Norton), and Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich, 1945-1955 by Harald Jähner, trans. by Shaun Whiteside (Knopf), which are both due out in the US in January. Here is the video announcement. The Guardian has a report.

‘Spain’s Elena Ferrante’, female thriller writer Carmen Mola, is revealed to be three men, as they accept €1m Planeta Prize, sparking controversy. The Guardian has coverage, as does The Bookseller.

Author and statesman Colin Powell Dies at 84 of Covid-19. The NYT has an obituary. 

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Four LibraryReads and five Indie Next picks publish this week:

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout (Random)

"Readers of I Am Lucy Barton will delight in the chance to revisit the character. The reflections on life, love and marriage are conveyed in Ms. Strout’s conversational yet concise writing. Readers will feel like they are having a personal discussion with Strout in their minds. For fans of Marilynne Robinson and Ann Patchett."—Carol Tuttle, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willoughby, OH

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“With sparse and familiar prose, Elizabeth Strout tells the story of Lucy’s ex-husband, William, as he navigates late-in-life changes, revealing deeper truths about how past and present combine to make us who we are. A wonderful novel.”—Courtney Flynn, Trident Booksellers & Cafe, Boston, MA

A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz (Harper)

“Ex-D.I. Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick Anthony Horowitz face a locked-island murder at an exclusive literary festival on the island of Alderney. The author's subtle humor and phrasing shines in this latest book in the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, which is full of brilliant misdirection, beautifully set-out clues, and a diabolically clever denouement. Readers who enjoy English detective stories that overwhelm you with characters and plot devices will be thrilled."—Jane Easterly, Galesburg Public Library, Galesburg, IL

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Another delightful romp, this time at a book festival on the island of Alderney with Anthony as himself alongside his detective friend, Daniel Hawthorne. Great read!”—Stephanie Crowe, Page and Palette, Fairhope, AL

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire)

“This short, creepy haunted house tale, brimming with Japanese folklore, cleverly reveals the monstrousness in ordinary human callousness--we’re awful not from horrendous actions or beliefs, but because we just react and shout each other down. For fans of My Heart is a Chainsaw and The Toll.”—Matthew Galloway, Anythink Libraries, Thornton, CO

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“This novella is not only scary but unsettling with a pace that will make you want to finish it in one sitting if you dare. The terrifying cover will stay with long after you’re through reading this Japanese folklore horror tale.”—Stephanie Csaszar, Books Around the Corner, Gresham, OR

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca (Berkley)

“When Mitch asks April to pose as his girlfriend for an upcoming family event, you immediately know where this is going. If you’re a fan of Lyssa Kay Adams or Tessa Bailey, then you’ll enjoy this light, feel-good romance!”—Rosanna Johnson, Chandler Public Library, Chandler, AZ

Two additional Indie Next picks arrive this week:

I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart (Two Dollar Radio)

“Camera-eye perspective of the Ukraine Euromaidan protests — if John Dos Passos and John Reed joined Pussy Riot — rich, variegated characters, tense plot. A must read for anyone inclined toward world literature.”—Conor Hultman, Square Books, Oxford, MS

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (Harper Muse; LJ starred review)

“About the transformative power of books, with touches of fairy tale magic, Once Upon a Wardrobe is for everyone who ever loved The Chronicles of Narnia and wants to make a return trip back into C.S. Lewis’ world.”—Taylor Owens, Wilson Book Gallery, Wilson, WY

In the Media

November’s issue of Entertainment Weekly is out with a "must list" that includes State of Terror by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton (S. & S.: St. Martin’s), and the Dune novels, by Frank Herbert (Penguin Random House). The “Close-up” features Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout (Random), and how the author revived her beloved protagonist. The “Author Spotlight” is on Wanda M Morris and her debut novel, All Her Little Secrets (Morrow). There is a feature on the forthcoming pandemic novels Burntcoat by Sarah Hall (Custom House), and Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart (Random; LJ starred review). Other book coverage includes forthcoming entertainment industry histories: You've Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead Was Brought to Life by Clark Collis (1984 Publishing), and How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy by Lynette Rice (St. Martin's: Macmillan). Plus, there are reviews of Monster in the Middle by Tiphanie Yanique (Riverhead), which earns an A-, and Still Life by Sarah Winman (Putnam), which earns a B+. The issue also showcases a Fall Movie Preview, including Dune, based on the book by Frank Herbert, Marvel's Eternals, with assoc. titles, Spider-Man: No Way Home, with assoc. titles, The Power of the Dog, based on the book by Thomas Savage, and more.

The People "Picks" book of the week is The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (Viking). Also getting attention are The Brides of Maracoor by Gregory Maguire (Morrow), and Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life by Sutton Foster (Grand Central). A “New in Nonfiction" section highlights On Animals by Susan Orlean (Avid Reader), I Dream He Talks to Me: A Memoir of Learning How to Listen by Allison Moorer (Hachette), and The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron Howard & Clint Howard (Morrow; LJ starred review). The cover feature highlights Katie Couric and her new memoir, Going There (Little, Brown, & Co.).

The “Picks” section features You, based on the book by Caroline Kepnes on Netflix, and the feature film, The Last Duel, based on the book by Eric Jager. Plus, Tara Bench, Live Life Deliciously with Tara Teaspoon: Recipes for Busy Weekdays and Leisurely Weekends (Shadow Mountain), and Kim-Joy, Celebrate with Kim-Joy: Cute Cakes and Bakes to Make Every Occasion Joyful (Quadrille), share recipes.

Reviews

The NYT reviews Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout (Random): “Marriage is Strout’s subject in Oh William! and she writes about it with brilliance, whether rendering the refuge and deliverance William and his mother provided Lucy from her impoverished childhood, or the tiny offenses that can accrue toxic symbolism in the course of a relationship.”

NPR reviews This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (Farrar): “a superb debut from an author who understands that horror fails in the absence of empathy. More than just scare us, Moreno wants to hurt readers with this book, and I strongly suggest you let him — even if you end up turning off your smart speaker forever.” And, Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events by Brent Spiner and Jeanne Darst (St. Martin’s): “It is a strange book, done completely straight-faced, doused liberally with sad-sack, self-deprecation from the author about ... himself. Or his made-up self. Or both.”

The Washington Post reviews Going There by Katie Couric (Little, Brown, & Co.): “Couric has not written a capital-J journalism tome, self-righteously outlining the highest ideals of her profession. Rather, she pulls back the curtain on her life and times in the business, with much to celebrate and apologize for.” Also, My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson (Henry Holt: Macmillan): “the storytelling is propulsive, as we follow these refugees along a harrowing journey, with danger ever at their heels. My Monticello is, quite simply, an extraordinary debut from a gifted writer with an unflinching view of history and what may come of it.” And, People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn (Norton): “Some essay collections are just compilations, an opportunity for readers to hold in one hand articles by favorite authors. Less often a compilation becomes a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. This is one of those unexpected, memorable books.” and It's Better to Be Feared : The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness by Seth Wickersham (Liverlight): “The book, he writes in its prologue, is about ‘understanding the Patriots’ greatness and the larger idea of greatness itself — what they traded for it, what they received in return, and what ultimately they sought but did not find’.” Also, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood by Mark Oppenheimer (Knopf): “in placing this hate crime against our country’s patchwork canvas of faith, politics and violence, Oppenheimer provides a powerful meditation on the changing meaning of community and belonging in an age of disconnection and isolation.”  Plus, more reviews from the weekend. 

Briefly Noted

The NYT has a Q&A with John Grisham, The Judge's List (Doubleday), about “the Supreme Court, wrongful convictions and what it means to be ‘review-proof'.”

People has an interview with Angelina Jolie about her new book, Know Your Rights and Claim Them: A Guide for Youth by Amnesty International, Angelina Jolie, and Geraldine Van Bueren (Zest Books). 

Candace Bushnell talks with People about HBO Max’s Sex and the City reboot, calling the original, “not very feminist.”

Salon has an interview with Trisha Yearwood, Trisha's Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food for Friends and Family (Mariner Books), about "family recipes and the power of love."

Vogue talks with Liara Roux about her new book, Whore of New York (Repeater: Penguin Random House), and "what she feels is missing from the cultural conversation around sex work."

Tom Vitale, In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain (Hachette; LJ starred review), talks with FoxNews about Bourdain. 

Paul McCartney pens an essay for The New Yorker, about writing “Eleanor Rigby.” McCartney's The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present (Liverlight: Norton), publishes November 2nd.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Lavie Tidhar talk about the “best literary blood suckers" since Dracula, at The Washington Post.

Entertainment Weekly has an excerpt of Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of The Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It by Dave Quinn (Andy Cohen Books).

OprahDaily has a preview and cover reveal for Margaret Atwood’s new collection of essays, Burning Questions: Essays and Occasional Pieces, 2004 to 2021 (Doubleday), due out in March 2022.

The Guardian features the Dune books by Frank Herbert and its new film adaptation, calling it "science fiction’s answer to Lord of the Rings."

USA Today picks five books for the week.

CrimeReads suggests 10 books out this week.

The Washington Post shares the best new audiobooks of the month.

The Millions releases its “Top Ten: September 2021.”

Buzzfeed has “13 Changes Made In Book-To-Screen Adaptations That Authors Loved, And 14 They Absolutely Loathed.”

Bustle has "15 Mystery Series That’ll Keep You Guessing."

Authors On Air

NPR’s Fresh Air talks with Questlove about his new book, Music Is History (Abrams; LJ starred review). The PBS News Hour also has an interview with Questlove, about his new book and documentary project about the 1969 Harlem concert series.

NPR’s Book of the Day talks with Amor Towles about his latest novel, The Lincoln Highway (Viking).

NPR’s Weekend Edition speaks with Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton about their new collaboration, State of Terror (S. & S.: St. Martin’s).

The PBS News Hour Weekend interviews Stevie Van Zandt about his new memoir, Unrequited Infatuations (Hachette), about his life in the music and acting business.

NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday celebrates 42 years “since The Hitchhiker's Guide answered the ultimate question.”

NPR’s Short Wave discusses “how our brains process and create meaning from the sounds around us” with Nina Krauss, Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World (MIT Press).

"DC developing Milestone animated movie based on classic Black superhero comics characters."  Entertainment Weekly has the scoop.  

Shadow&Act shares the trailer from The Batman, due out in 2022 with associated titles. 

Richard Gere reads from Italo Calvino's The Baron in the Trees at NYU. LitHub has the footage. 

Adam Schiff, Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could (Random House), visits The Late Show tonight and Nick Offerman, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves To Walk Outside (Dutton), visits The View and The Late Show tomorrow. Ron Howard & Clint Howard, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family (Morrow; LJ starred review), visit Kelly Clarkson tomorrow. 

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