May New and Notable
Audition, by Barbara Walters
In a riveting and candid memoir, the acclaimed television journalist chronicles the people, events, and forces that have shaped her life and career, from childhood to the present day, discussing her relationships with men, family, friends, coworkers, and rivals; her struggle to make it in a man’s world; and the interviews she has conducted during her forty-year-career. 750,000 first printing.
Passion on the Vine, by Sergio Esposito
An evocative celebration of food, wine, and family by a leading authority on Italian wine journeys into the heart of his native land to visit the great wineries and culinary wonders of Italy, introducing an endearing, eccentric cast of characters that range from the author’s own parents to a ballroom-dancing winemaker whose farming methods are based on the cycles of the moon. 30,000 first printing.
Moyers on Democracy, by Bill Moyers
In a collection of eloquent speeches, the renowned broadcaster shares his thoughts on the state of America, the betrayal of the nation’s democratic ideals by the Bush administration, and the need to reconnect with our constitutional principles and history of reform, speaking out on such issues as religion in public life, the environment, and the Iraq war. 60,000 first printing.
Peace, by Richard Bausch
The experiences of battle fatigue and constant exposure to mortal danger are depicted with raw immediacy and terse power in this short novel from veteran Bausch (Thanksgiving Night, 2006, etc.).The book describes the ordeal of a “recon squad” lost in a mountainous area of Italy in the waning war year of 1944. The squad loses several of its men and things unravel further when a hard-bitten sergeant shoots to death both a German soldier and the woman hiding with him in a Nazi tank. Three soldiers struggle on alone: Boston Jew Saul Asch, embittered redneck Benny Joyner and their leader, Corporal Robert Marson, an ingenuous young husband and father, a once promising baseball player and a virtually prototypical “good American.” This sounds like a generic war-movie scenario, and there are echoes of Stephen Crane, James Jones and particularly William Styron’s The Long March. But Bausch sustains a gripping atmosphere of wintry dread, and he keeps the reader hooked with subtly accreting little surprises, as Marson and his small crew appropriate the services of an aging Italian farmer, Angelo, to guide them up and down the treacherous mountainside. Is Angelo a “fascisti”? In bits of broken English the old man vigorously denies accusations hurled at him by the distrustful Joyner—as Marson, tortured by a painful foot injury and burdened with authority he wields only reluctantly, labors to keep them all together. Then, the body of a presumably “executed” German soldier is discovered, repeated rifle shots that can only mean one horrific thing are heard and Marson’s survival skills and resolve are put to ultimate physical and moral tests.Bausch admirably turns a familiar story into something genuinely new.Agent: Henry Dunow/Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. First Printing of 35,000 Copyright Kirkus 2008 Kirkus/BPI Communications.
Belong to Me, by Marisa de los Santos
While Cornelia gains unexpected insight into her troubled marriage, Piper finds her carefully controlled life unraveling in the wake of a friend’s crisis, and Lake tells a complex series of lies to gain her son’s entry into a school for gifted students. 150,000 first printing.
So Brave, Young and Handsome, by Leif Enger
In 1915 Minnesota, Monte Becket, a novelist who has lost his sense of purpose, joins Glendon Hale, an outlaw intent on reconciling with his family, which he had abandoned more than two decades earlier, on his journey to California, but he is forced to leave his own family and is pursued by Charles Siringo, a relentless former Pinkerton agent. By the author of Peace Like a River.
The Soloist, by Steve Lopez
An intimate portrait of gifted violinist Nathaniel Ayers traces his promising education at Juilliard, his struggles with schizophrenia, and the factors that led to his homelessness in Los Angeles, circumstances that prompted their friendship and the author’s efforts to improve the musician’s life in spite of numerous setbacks.
The Girl With No Shadow, by Joanne Harris
A long-anticipated sequel to the best-selling Chocolat finds Vianne assuming a low-profile new identity in Paris, where she opens a chocolaterie and hopes to escape the ghosts of her past before a devious new friend threatens everything she has worked for. 100,000 first printing.
Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith
Rising Soviet state security force officer Leo Demidov encounters the test of his career when a serial killer challenges his beliefs about the paradise of the working world, resulting in his demotion and threats against the lives of his family members. A first novel.
Girls in Trucks, by Katie Crouch
Wry, rueful tales of a Southern debutante’s mostly disappointing love life.The unifying motif of Crouch’s debut is the Charleston Cotillion Training School, where South Carolina girls and boys of a certain class are taught ballroom dance in preparation for the girls’ coming out parties. Prominent among the debutantes are the Camellias, a sorority of women whose mission is to “prepare their daughters for marriage to a decent man.” For Sarah Walters and her friends Bitsy, Charlotte and Annie, Camellia membership will mark their most permanent attachment; it seems that for latter-day debutantes there’s a shortage of decent men. The novel is comprised of linked short stories, some veering off into the equally problematic amours of peripheral characters including Sarah’s brilliant older sister Eloise and their mother. After college, Sarah moves to New York City seeking a writer’s life. While working lowly editorial positions, she rooms with Charlotte, a fledgling fashion designer who’s in and out of rehab. Sarah’s man-that-got-away is blue-blooded Max, who “made money with money.” His casual cruelty is not tempered by any redeeming appeal, and Sarah’s intractable obsession with him beggars belief. She attempts, vainly, to settle for guys from home, or guys she thought of as just friends but was holding in reserve as fallback lovers. Annie, who never leaves Charleston, survives a relationship with a feckless artist to find love and financial stability. Bitsy marries money, which is scant consolation for her husband’s callousness—his infidelities persist as she dies of cancer. Charlotte chooses first drugs, then entrepreneurial success, over relationships. Sarah, finding at 31 that she’s “missed [her] window” of opportunity with the fallback guys, has a child by an extremely casual acquaintance. By age 35 she’s accepted the fact that neither she nor the men in her life will ever measure up to debutante standards .Gentle humor and sharp observation couched in straightforward prose with none of the preening preciosity so often seen in Southern fiction. (Kirkus Review)
50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America, by National Geographic
An engaging handbook offers a series of fun-filled travel ideas for women that range from big city trips or small-town weekends to pampering spa retreats and wilderness adventures, in a volume that includes practical suggestions on roommate etiquette, safety, what to pack, budgeting, and more. Original. 25,000 first printing.
Certain Girls, by Jennifer Weiner
A sequel to Good in Bed takes place thirteen years later and finds a no-longer-famous Cannie writing science fiction under a pen name, raising her teenage daughter, and considering her husband Peter’s request to have Cannie’s flamboyant sister provide surrogate services so that they can have a second child. 450,000 first printing.
Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die, by Chris Santella
Sailing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations.
The Biggest Loser Success Secrets, by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson
Presents the diet and exercise secrets of successful contestants on the show “The Biggest Loser”, discussing finding the time to work out, overcoming food cravings, and maintaining weight after reaching a weight-loss goal.
Playing with the Enemy, by Gary Moore
Describes how the sports career of the author’s father, a baseball phenom, was cut short by the onset of World War II and by his chance assignment to a secret mission for the U.S. Navy–to guard a select group of German POWs, the crew of the submarine U-205. Reprint.
Ladies of Liberty, by Cokie Roberts
A sequel to Founding Mothers shares the stories of remarkable women who shaped American history between 1796 and 1828, including Dolley Madison, Theodosia Burr, and Sacajawea. By the author of We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters. 400,000 first printing.
The Romanov Bride, by Robert Alexander
A final installment of a trilogy that began with Rasputin’s Daughter and The Kitchen Boy finds vengeance-seeking villager Pavel joining an underground group that assassinates the grand duke of Russia, irrevocably affecting the life purpose of his widow, Elisavyeta.
I Was Told There’d Be Cake, by Sloane Crosley
A debut compilation of literary essays offers a revealing and humorous look at human fallibility and the vagaries of modern urban life as the author details the despoiling of an exhibit at the Natural History Museum, the provocation of her first boss, siccing the cops on her mysterious neighbor, and other offbeat situations. Original.
The Grandmother Book: A Book About You for Your Grandchild, by Andy Hilford
Andy and Susan Hilford present the perfect way for grandmothers of all ages to pass along a grandmother’s story. The story is one that recounts coming-of-age moments, life-changing events, a look back at what was, family anecdotes and historical insight. With thoughtful, surprising, at times unexpected, and provocative questions, this book is directed to the new generation of baby boomer grandmothers. From early memories of her childhood, to the time she began her own family, to the present as she watches her family continue to grow, this valuable, prompted keepsake ensures that the thoughts, moments, events, images, and ideas that shaped her life are collected in her voice and in her hand for a precious audience.
The Moses Code, by James Twyman
Is it possible that nearly 3,500 years ago, Moses was given the secret for attracting everything you’ve ever desired? The Moses Code was first used to create some of the greatest miracles in the history of the world, but then it was hidden away, and only the highest initiates were allowed to practice it. In this book, James F. Twyman reveals the Code for the first time, showing how it can be used to create miracles in your life . . . and in the world. By practicing the principles presented within these pages, you’ll discover how you can integrate the most powerful manifestation tool in the history of the world into your own life. (Editorial Review)
The Shack, by Willliam Young
Four years after his daughter is abducted and evidence of her murder is found in an abandoned shack, Mackenzie Allen Philips returns to the shack in response to a note claiming to be from God, and has a life-changing experience.
Enlightenment for Idiots, by Anne Cuchman
Hoping to write the ultimate book on meditation, Amanda, an aspiring yoga instructor, is stuck earning a living as a hack writer of travel guides and is thrilled when her commitment-phobic photographer boyfriend offers her the opportunity to travel with him to the spiritual sites of India, but her trip and an unwelcome revelation force her to make tough choices about love, life, and spiritual practice. 30,000 first printing.
The Convenient Groom, by Denise Hunter
Carpenter Lucas stands in for the groom when celebrated author and marriage counselor Dr. Kate Lawrence is left at the altar hours before her wedding, but after the big day, Kate discovers that she has a lot to learn about love. Thomas Nelson Publisher.
The House at Riverton, by Kate Morton
Living out her final days in a nursing home, ninety-eight-year-old Grace remembers the secrets surrounding the 1924 suicide of a young poet during a glittering society party hosted by Grace’s English aristocrat employers, a family that is shattered by war. 75,000 first printing.
The Host, by Stephenie Meyer
A member of a species that takes over the minds of human bodies, Wanderer is unable to disregard his host’s love for a man in hiding, a situation that forces both possessor and host to become unwilling allies. A first adult novel by the author of Eclipse.
Comfort, by Ann Hood
The author of The Knitting Circle documents her family’s journey of grief after the sudden death of her five-year-old daughter after a virulent illness, a process during which she learned how to knit and experienced comfort in unexpected ways.
Bonk, by Mary Roach
A whimsical assessment of the science of sexual physiology considers the lighter side of such topics as the arousal of cadavers, mythologies about a woman’s ability to experience orgasm, and the ineffectiveness of Viagra on female pandas. By the author of Stiff and Spook.
Ten Days in the Hills, by Jane Smiley
In the wake of the 2003 Academy Awards, a group of friends and family gathers in the Hollywood hills for ten transformative days of love, memories, gossip, movies, and more, including Max, an Oscar-winning writer/director whose career is waning; his lover Elena; his ex-wife, film star Zoe Cunningham; their daughter Isabel; and others. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.
Ghosts Among Us, by James Van Praagh
A co-executive producer of The Ghost Whisperer and world-famous medium shares true encounter tales from the author’s own life, reveals lesser-known details about how ghosts participate in everyday life, and discusses how to enable a more fulfilling life by being open to the spirit world. 100,000 first printing.
Comfort Food, by Kate Jacobs
Tiring of playing the hostess as her fiftieth birthday approaches, celebrity chef Augusta Simpson endeavors to distance herself from her overly dependent loved ones and receives assistance from handsome fellow chef Oliver in her efforts to launch an on-air cooking class. By the author of The Friday Night Knitting Club.
The Downhill Lie, by Carl Hiaasen
A hilarious golf memoir recounts the author’s return to the fairways after quitting the game in college and waiting more than thirty years and into middle age before returning to the sport, describing how he purchased a set of clubs, joined a country club, practiced for eighteen long months, and agreed to compete in a tournament against much more talented players. 200,000 first printing.
Swine Not? by Jimmy Buffett
Moving their beloved pet pig from their Tennessee hometown to their new home in a posh no-pets-allowed New York City hotel, southern belle Ellie McBride and her twin children struggle to hide the swine from the hotel staff, including an ultra-carnivorous hotel chef. 600,000 first printing.
I Still Have It… by Rita Rudner
The comedienne-author of Naked Beneath My Clothes offers a hilarious look at the inevitable realities of growing older as she recounts the whimsical adventures and misadventures of a woman of a certain age navigating the issues of style, technology, and body image. 40,000 first printing.
Knut the Baby Polar Bear, by Juliana Hatkoff
Presents the true story of Knut, a polar bear born at the Berlin Zoo, whose mother was unable to raise him and who was cared for by the bear keeper of the zoo.
Bonjour Butterfly, with Fancy Nancy, by Jane O’Connor
When she is told that she won’t be able to attend her best friend’s glamorous Butterfly Birthday Bash because it coincides with her grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary celebration, Nancy is heartbroken, but with her family’s support and her own stylish flare, Nancy is able to add a touch of drama to the mix and make the day a true success for all.
Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Words, by Jane O”Connor
Fancy Nancy provides one or more of her favorite fancy words for each letter of the alphabet, defines them, and uses some in sentences that show what they mean to her, such as that she yearns–wants really badly–to visit Paris someday. 200,000 first printing.
Sword Quest, by Nancy Yi Fan
As two rivals, archaeopteryx Maldeor and archae-dove Wind-Voice, race to find the Great Spirit’s sword, the destiny of birdworld hangs in the balance, in an exciting fantasy prequel to Swordbird.
Popularity: 96%