HARDCOVER FICTION
Our Top Shelf pick for January! Katie P. says: “The First Bad Man, like all of July’s work, is a story of deepest, truest human desire, and how it gets fulfilled. In this case those desires are Cheryl Glickman’s; a middle-aged obsessive-compulsive woman whose life follows a thousand invisible rules. The First Bad Man is a daring book. It takes readers through shocking eroticism, dark humor, and tender portrayals of people who, in the hands of another author, would be repellent. But here is where July is most masterful: when she shines a light into dark places, to show us parts of ourselves we didn’t even know we were hiding.”
The Just City by Jo WaltonJoe’s new release pick of the day: “Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Jo Walton tackles the idea of consent and volition in her latest novel, The Just City. When the goddess Athene selects scholars from all across time to create a real life example of Plato’s Republic, questions about the place and role of women in that world, what constitutes consent in sexual relationships, and the very nature and notion of slavery arise. Even though it is only the beginning of 2015, I already consider this a strong contender for book of the year.”
Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-SmithVampire Henry Sturges returns in the highly anticipated sequel to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter; a sweeping, alternate history of twentieth-century America by New York Times bestselling author Seth Grahame-Smith. In Reconstruction-era America, vampire Henry Sturges is searching for renewed purpose in the wake of his friend Abraham Lincoln’s shocking death. Along the way, Henry goes on the road in a Kerouac-influenced trip as Seth Grahame-Smith ingeniously weaves vampire history through Russia’s October Revolution, the First and Second World Wars, and the JFK assassination.
West of Sunset by Stewart O’NanJulie’s new release pick: “I love reading about the lives of writers and O’Nan does a terrific job fictionalizing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s final days. His vision of 1930s Hollywood, where Fitzgerald is neighbors with Humphrey Bogart and eats lunch in the same cafeteria as Spencer Tracy, is addictive reading. The dancing! The premieres! The stars! It’s a Hollywood of a long gone era, glitzy and gilded, pure joy to experience on the page. This novel gives us a writer hanging between past and present, struggling to stay afloat, writing to save himself. O’Nan’s pacing and dialogue are dynamite.”
The Deep by Nick CutterFrom the bestselling author of the highly acclaimed horror novel The Troop comes a terrifying tale of a strange plague decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget–small things at first, like where they left their keys…then the not-so-small things like how to drive, or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily. In order to study a possible cure in the Pacific Ocean, a special research lab, the “Trieste,” has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But now the station is incommunicado, and it’s up to a brave few to descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths.
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
Publishing: A Writer’s Memoir by Gail Godwin
“Godwin, a bestselling author, has been a keen observer of the business of books, writing and publishing for decades. This memoir offers an engaging, educational perspective from the vantage of the writers’ desk. In relating her experience, Godwin chronicles the way things were, the way things changed, what it was like for writers as publishing houses became imprints of large international conglomerates, and what it means now for an author to publish a book. Good reading for anyone who cares about book culture.”
Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mengal Illness by Jessie CloseThis book is written in Jessie’s voice with running commentary and an epilogue written by her sister, Glenn Close. When the Close sisters were very young, their parents joined a cult called the MRA, or Moral Rearmament. Shortly after the girls returned to the US for boarding school, Jessie first started to exhibit symptoms of severe bipolar disorder. Glenn was always by her side. Fifteen years and twelve years of sobriety later, Jessie is a stable and productive member of society. This is their story.
Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone by Marky Ramone
“Marky Ramone sets the record straight, painting an unflinching picture of the dysfunction behind the band that changed a generation. With exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, Punk Rock Blitzkrieg is both a cultural history of punk and a stirring story of addiction: the story that millions of fans have been waiting for.
NEW BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
Looking for Alaska 10th Anniversary Edition by John Green
John Green fans, check it out – we have SIGNED copies of the special anniversary edition of Looking for Alaska! The special edition includes:
– An introduction by John Green
– Updated backmatter and extensive Q&A with John Green
– Deleted scenes from the original manuscript
The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and John Jory
New for middle grade readers! Authors and friends Mac Barnett and John Jory tell the story of two terrific pranksters who engage in an epic war of trickery to be crowned the school’s best prankster.
BookPeople 