Books Publishing This Week

Aug 20

Aug 20 Books Publishing This Week

Books Publishing This Week: August 18 - 24

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Imagine this:

It's a warm August afternoon, and you find yourself by the lake, seeking solace in the tranquility of the water's edge. The sun is high in the sky, its golden rays dancing on the lake's surface, creating a dazzling display of light. The air is filled with the sounds of nature: the gentle lapping of water against the shore, the distant call of birds, and the rustling of leaves in the soft breeze. This is the perfect setting to start a new book, a moment of peace and quiet where you can lose yourself in a different world.

You settle into your favorite spot, a comfortable blanket spread out on the grass, offering a soft cushion against the earth. Nearby, a large tree provides a patch of shade, its branches swaying gently. The lake stretches out before you, its waters calm and inviting, reflecting the clear blue sky and the lush greenery that surrounds it. You can see fish occasionally breaking the surface, sending ripples across the water, and a pair of ducks gliding gracefully along the shore.

With a sense of anticipation, you reach for the book you've brought with you. Its cover is intriguing, hinting at the adventures and stories contained within. You hold it for a moment, appreciating the feel of it in your hands, the weight of the pages waiting to be turned. The world around you fades into the background as you open the book, the first page beckoning you to begin.

The story captures you from the start, the words flowing effortlessly and drawing you in. The author's descriptions are vivid, painting a picture in your mind that rivals the beauty of the lake before you. As you read, you become immersed in the lives of the characters, their emotions and experiences becoming your own. You can feel their joy, their sorrow, their excitement, and their fears as if they were happening to you.

The afternoon sunlight filters through the tree's branches, casting dappled shadows on your book. The warmth of the sun on your skin is soothing, and the gentle breeze carries the faint scent of wildflowers and fresh water. You pause occasionally to look up, taking in the serene view of the lake, and then dive back into the story, eager to see what happens next.

Time seems to slow down as you read, each page turning smoothly, the narrative unfolding with a rhythm that feels just right. You lose track of the hours, the story transporting you far from the lake's edge. The worries and stresses of daily life seem distant and unimportant, replaced by the adventures and dramas playing out in the book.

The characters feel like old friends, their journeys and struggles resonating with you. There are moments of laughter, of tension, and of quiet reflection that make you pause and think. You marvel at the author's ability to craft such a compelling story, one that makes you forget everything else and lose yourself in its pages.

As the afternoon progresses, the sun begins to lower in the sky, its light taking on a softer, more golden hue. The lake is bathed in this gentle glow, the water shimmering with a warm, inviting light. You realize that you've been reading for hours, completely absorbed in the book. You look up, taking a moment to stretch and appreciate the beauty around you. The world seems more vibrant, more alive, after your literary journey.

You close the book gently, marking your place with a smile. The story is far from over, and you feel a sense of excitement at the thought of continuing it. For now, though, you let the peacefulness of the lake wash over you, the quiet stillness a perfect contrast to the vivid world of the book.

You take a deep breath, feeling a profound sense of contentment. This August afternoon by the lake has been a perfect escape, a moment of calm and reflection in the midst of a busy life. As you gather your things and prepare to head back, you know that you'll return to this spot soon, ready to pick up where you left off and continue the adventure.

Scroll down to find out what book you might be reading…

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The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable

A stunning debut novel of music, intoxication, and betrayal inspired by the true story of Anna Maria della Pietà, a Venetian orphan and violin prodigy who studied under Antonio Vivaldi and ultimately became his star musician—and his biggest muse.

Anna Maria della Pietà was destined to drown in one of Venice’s canals. Instead, she became the greatest violinist of the 18th century.

Anna Maria has only known life inside the Pietà, an orphanage for children born of prostitutes. But the girls of the Pietà are lucky in a sense: most babies born of their station were drowned in the city’s canals. And despite the strict rules, the girls are given singing and music lessons from an early age. The most promising musicians have the chance to escape the fate of the rest: forced marriage to anyone who will have them.

Anna Maria is determined to be the best violinist there is—and whatever Anna Maria sets out to do, she achieves. After all, the stakes for Anna could not be higher. But it is 1704 and she is a girl. The pursuit of her ambition will test everything she holds dear, especially when it becomes clear that her instructor, Antonio Vivaldi, will teach Anna everything he knows—but not without taking something in return.

From the opulent palaces of Venice to its mud-licked canals, The Instrumentalist is a portrait of opportunities dangled only to be snatched away. It is the story of one woman’s irrepressible ambition and rise to the top. And it is the story of the orphans of Venice who overcame destitution and abuse to make music, and whose contributions to some of the most important works of classical music, including “The Four Seasons,” have been overlooked for too long.

For fans of The Queen’s Gambit and Fingersmith, The Instrumentalist is a searing exploration of art and ambition, genius and exploitation, and loss and triumph.

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson

A riveting, adventurous novel inspired by the life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a Black woman who learned to fly at the dawn of aviation, and found freedom in the air.

For fans of Hidden Figures, The Great Circle, and I Was Amelia Earhart, A Pair of Wings is an epic novel about pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, whose story has waited 100 years to be told. A few years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight, Bessie was working the Texas cotton ﬁelds with her family when an airplane flew right over their heads. It buzzed so low she thought she could catch it in her hands. Bessie wasn’t afraid. Without even thinking, she spread her arms out and pretended she was flying. She knew there was freedom in those wings.

The daughter of a woman born into slavery, Bessie answers the call of the great migration, moving to Chicago as a single woman. While working as a manicurist in the White Sox barbershop, she wins the backing of two wealthy, powerful Black men, Robert Abbott, the publisher of The Chicago Defender, and Jesse Binga, Chicago’s first Black banker. Abbott becomes her mentor and chronicles her adventures, while the good-looking gun-toting Binga becomes her lover. Her first love, though, remains the airplane.

But in 1920, no one in the U.S. will train a Black woman to fly, so 26- year-old Bessie learns to speak French and bets it all on an epic journey to Europe as she begins a quest to defy the odds and gravity itself. Two years ahead of Amelia Earhart, Bessie is molded by battle-hardened French and German combat pilots, who teach her death-defying stunts. Bessie’s signature majestic loops, spiky barrel rolls, and hairpin turns, just like her hardscrabble journey, are spellbinding.

While she finds there is no prejudice in the air, Bessie must wrestle with many challenges: She nearly dies in a plane crash, one of her brothers seems to be crumbling under the weight of Jim Crow, and as she grapples with tough truths about Binga, Bessie begins to wonder if the freedom she finds in the air means she must otherwise fly solo.

With tenderness and verve, Carole Hopson imagines the breathtaking moxie that led Bessie Coleman to strap up knee-high boots and don a self-designed flight suit to become “Queen Bess” of the sky.

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

he hardest thing for a paranormal conspiracy theorist and a web series producer to believe in is finding love in this swoony debut romantic comedy.

Hallie Barrett's life has imploded after she's dumped by her hotshot ex, who also happens to be her coworker and the star of the online series she was producing. Without a new show to present for the company competition, she’ll be out of a job. But inspiration can come from the strangest places . . . like the most handsome guy she’s ever seen passionately discussing Bigfoot on a late-night docuseries.

Hayden Hargrove made a name for himself as a cryptid expert on his hit podcast, and is intrigued by the plucky, blue-haired producer who offers him the opportunity to lead his own web show. When the production team sees that Hayden’s solo on-screen presence is bad enough to make a ghost blanch, Hallie jumps on camera too, hitting him (and his cryptids) with a healthy dose of skepticism—and enough chemistry to electrify their show to the top of the competition.

As Hayden and Hallie investigate the unknown, they unearth feelings for each other that shake their beliefs to the core. In their search for Mothman, aliens, and the truth, the most elusive discovery might just be learning to love again.

We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft

WE LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE (Berkely; 8/20/24) delves into the dark and chic underworld of 1970s London. Step into a realm where shadows dance and secrets lurk, as readers follow Nicola and Amber, two party girls with a deep love for disco. After meeting one fateful night on the dancefloor, their lives are forever changed. What comes next is an infernal dance of insatiable appetites, toxic friendships, and eternal youth. You won’t want the party to stop!

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

Author Interview with Jodi Picoult

(Click here for my list of Best Jodi Picoult Books)

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.

In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theater[CK(1] productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.

Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.

Til Heist Do Us Part by Sara Desai

Author Interview with Sara Desai

Diamond necklaces, billionaires, Mafia bosses, and student loans—it’s all in a day’s work for Simi Chopra and her ragtag heist crew in the next romantic-comedy caper from Sara Desai.

It’s been a year since Simi Chopra’s motley crew pulled off a high-wire diamond necklace heist with the help of sexy rogue Jack Danger. After living it up on the reward money, they're back where they started, struggling to pay their bills. So when a Chicago Mafia boss demands they return the jewels—plus interest, or else—they need to get the team back together…and fast.

Unfortunately, Simi soon discovers that the necklace is in the hands of Jack's nemesis, a highly-skilled and supremely vengeful master thief who is not above a little blackmail to get even. (Did Jack really have to piss her off?) Now, the crew is forced into her working her con in order to get the necklace back.

As if Simi needed any more complications while trying to rob a billionaire’s mansion, she and Jack are on the rocks, someone else is after her score, and a gorgeous detective is hot on her tail. Simi better be careful or she’ll end up in the less fun kind of handcuffs.

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

To save his family's failing funeral home—and his own chance at a queer love story—a reluctant clairvoyant must embrace the gift he long ignored in this poignant and tender debut, perfect for fans of the swoonworthy romance and queer community of One Last Stop and the macabre humor and family dysfunction of Mostly Dead Things.

"Part ghost story, part Jewish family epic, and part romance, Rules for Ghosting is a meditation on life, death, and healing that is at turns bitingly funny and deeply moving." —Anita Kelly, author of Love and Other Disasters

Rule #1: They can’t speak.
Rule #2: They can’t move.
Rule #3: They can’t hurt you

Ezra Friedman sees ghosts, which made growing up in a funeral home a bit complicated. It might have been easier if his grandfather’s ghost didn’t give him such scathing looks of disapproval as he went through a second, HRT-induced puberty, or if he didn't have the pressure of all those relatives—living and dead—judging every choice he makes. It’s no wonder that Ezra runs as far away from the family business as humanly possible.

But when the floor of his dream job drops out from under him and his mother uses the family Passover seder to tell everyone that she’s running away with the rabbi’s wife, Ezra finds himself back in the thick of it. With his parents’ marriage imploding and the Friedman Family Memorial Chapel on the brink of financial ruin, Ezra agrees to step into his mother's shoes and help out . . . which means long days surrounded by ghosts that no one else can see.

And then there's his unfortunate crush on Jonathan, the handsome funeral home volunteer who just happens to live downstairs from Ezra's new apartment . . . and the appearance of the ghost of Jonathan's gone-too-soon husband, Ben, who is breaking every spectral rule Ezra knows.

Because Ben can speak. He can move. And as Ezra tries to keep his family together and his heart from getting broken, he quickly realizes that there's more than one way to be haunted—and more than one way to become a ghost.

My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Don't call this mermaid "little"—call her "captain," unless you want to walk the plank.

Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn't love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she's a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she'll—poof!—turn into sea-foam.

But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn't willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she's ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much more: Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won't let anyone stop her—not Blackbeard's cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who's having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can't be a pirate just because she's a girl.

She may not be the best man for the job, but she'll definitely prove that she's worth her salt.

The Naturalist's Daughter by Tea Cooper

Bad Witches by H.B. Akumiah

In H. B. Akumiah’s lively and charming debut, three young women discover the unbelievable: they’re witches, and their new-found magic may be the key to saving the world …

The Witch Sphere is in turmoil. In the years since a stunning betrayal sent shockwaves through society, the Sphere was hit with a crisis: witches are giving birth to more typics (non-witches) and their numbers are diminishing. Nadia is determined to help, but she finds her efforts at the Witch Health Organization entangled with the political machinations of her powerful mother.

A public relations assistant, a teacher, and a former child star walk into a bar bathroom … On what happens to be all of their twenty-second birthday and, like many twentysomethings, become fast tipsy friends. But unlike most twentysomethings, their night of partying ends with an accidental act of magic. Suddenly, Maya, Gabbie, and Delali find themselves thrust into a world of spells and potions with only a mysterious mentor as a guide.

As the girls learn to harness their new power, Nadia starts to notice spikes in the magic baseline and suspects an unknown cadre of witches may be the key to solving the Typic Crisis. Can this unlikely coven come together and save the Sphere or are there darker forces at play? Either way these Bad Witches are going to find a way to have some fun.

The Paris Gown by Christine Wells

From perennially popular historical novelist Christine Wells, the delightful tale of three young women in 1950s Paris who share a single dazzling Christian Dior gown.

Paris, 1955

Three friends—Claire, Gina, and Margot—who parted as very young women with their whole lives ahead of them, reunite in Paris years later, determined to start life anew.

Parisian Claire has been working hard to become a Michelin-starred chef one day, but ever since the heady time she spent in the company of socialites Gina and Margot, her dream has been to own a Dior gown. This seemed like a far-off fantasy, until the eccentric and wealthy Madame Vaughn, who lives above Claire’s family brasserie, abruptly leaves Paris, asking Claire to mind her apartment. More bafflingly, Madame Vaughn also makes Claire a very special gift: a stunning Dior gown.

Meanwhile Gina, a cool American blue blood, lands on Claire’s doorstep nursing a broken heart and a broken engagement after her father lost all of the family money in a risky business venture. A journalist aspiring to be a novelist, Gina has returned to Paris in the hopes of pursuing her dream. But when her father begs her to attend the United States Embassy ball in the hopes of persuading Hal Sanders, her former fiancé, to invest in her father’s new business venture, she is torn. She wants to help her father, but seeing Hal again will be exquisitely painful. And what on earth is she going to wear?

Warm-hearted Claire insists Gina wear the Dior gown to the ball, and after some hesitation, Gina accepts. At Dior for Gina’s fitting, who should assist them but Margot, the friend they thought had gone back to Australia to be married. But Margot is living in Paris and working at Dior under an assumed name, and clearly, she is not happy to have been found.

Is their close friendship at an end? Or will the wonder and delight of the Dior gown bring these young women back together?

Gorgeous, perfectly fitted, lustrous and luxurious, the Dior gown has the power to change lives—as these three remarkable women are about to discover…

Enemy of the State by Robert Swartwood

The world believed Daniel Burke was dead.

At least, the few people in the government who knew he existed did. Once part of an elite black ops team, Burke faked his death so he could avenge his brother. Now that those responsible have been brought to justice, he plans to leave the country and start a new life.

But before Burke can even get on the plane, his old team has tracked him down.

The CIA believes Daniel Burke is a traitor—an enemy of the state—who must answer for his crimes. But others in government simply want him dead.

Knowing he’s been set up, Burke is the only one who can track down and expose the real traitor—before it’s too late.

A Season of Perfect Happiness by Maribeth Fischer

A Season of Perfect Happiness fundamentally questions what makes a “good” mother, with a propulsive and heartrending portrayal of one woman’s efforts to find her voice.

Ten years after an unspeakable tragedy caused Claire to flee her hometown in Delaware, she finally feels content. She has a quiet, tidy life in Wisconsin, a place she picked at random for its shape on a map. Her careful existence centers on a simple plan: keep her social circle small and keep the past a secret.

But when she meets Erik—a lighthearted theater nerd who gives Claire more of a chance than she’s given herself in a long time—that plan seems increasingly impossible, especially after she finds herself emotionally entangled not only with Erik, but with his ex-wife, Annabelle; their three young children; and a small set of friends, the kind she’d always wanted to have around her. Life after the accident can be full of joy, Claire realizes—going on a date to see a thousand-pound pig at the state fair, giggling over obscure inside jokes with friends at a music gig, making smoothies while the kids wear their infamous cooking hats. Being a partner, a best friend, a mother.

But when a person from her past arrives, Claire’s worst mistake threatens her new life, and the deep friendships she’s made hang in the balance. If Claire chooses to share the parts of herself she has kept locked away for so long, will the family she has built still recognize her—and have a place for her? Or will everything she has spent the last decade working toward fall apart?

Storybook Ending by Poppy Alexander

From the author of The Littlest Library—a heartwarming novel about a widowed children’s book author who moves into a cottage in the English countryside and finds herself face-to-face with the handsome and brooding blacksmith who lives next door.

In her books she can write “happily ever after”— but real life? That’s another matter…
For children’s book author Imogen, an idyllic life in the English countryside seems like the perfect fit for her and her husband. But when tragedy strikes, Imogen is left widowed, and finds herself moving into Storybook Cottage alone with only her monstrously narcissistic cat for company.

After discovering she is pregnant, Imogen grows determined to embrace a new start in Middlemass, with its duckpond, cricket matches and village fêtes. The only thing Imogen can’t seem to shake is her neighbor—a brooding, artisan blacksmith named Gabriel—who she can’t quite decide is friend or foe. That is until she realizes, thanks to an arcane clause in her deeds, that Gabriel— not just an artist, but lord of the local manor house— has the power to take her home and leave her completely broke.

Devastatingly, he seems keen to do exactly that. Yet, Imogen finds herself drawn to him nonetheless. And in her darkest hour, Gabriel may just be the bright spot to save Imogen in more ways than one.

The Lafitte Affair:A Bruneau Abellard Novel by Norman Woolworth

When burglars break into Hope Mausoleum and violate Crypt 1083-A, where the remains of the former Girod Street Cemetery are housed, New Orleans property crimes detective Thibodeaux “Bo” Duplessis is confronted with three confounding questions: Who are the burglars? Why did they break into the crypt? What, if anything, did they take?

In need of expertise he does not possess, Bo turns to his childhood friend Bruneau Abellard, a cranky, overweight antiques dealer with exacting epicurean standards and a font of historical knowledge. Affecting annoyance, though privately intrigued, Bruneau agrees to assist with Bo’s case. Together, the friends uncover a secret love affair between a famous antebellum actress, whose remains are contained in the crypt, and the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte.

Set against the singular backdrop of contemporary New Orleans, with glimpses of the city during its “Belle Epoque” of the 1820’s, The Lafitte Affair is populated with characters as eccentric as the city itself: a grand dame of the Garden District; a competitive female puzzler; a slippery con man; a giant hermit with a shrouded past; a pugnacious French bulldog; and a phantom thief who seems always two steps ahead of his pursuers. Looming over them all is the ghostly presence of the pirate Lafitte, a larger than life figure of seemingly endless contradictions.

Older, Wiser, Shorter by Jane Seskin

“Older, Wiser, Shorter” is an intimate collection of 63 poems: authentic, funny, insightful, quirky and heartfelt, acknowledging the physical vulnerabilities, losses, and surprises women encounter in their senior years. She also pays tribute to the sense of power, resilience and new-found joys women discover as they acknowledge, accommodate and accept their aging. Seskin's talent for finding the universal connecting tissue of even our most intimate moments will resonate with readers seeking to discover new ways to honor the past, celebrate the present and welcome the future.

Growing old is a gift. Believe in it. Respect it. Embrace it. From varicose veins to doctors appointments to forgetting why you walked into the kitchen, “Older Wiser Shorter” illuminates the trials and tribulations of growing older, one poem at a time. Not to be feared but welcomed, aging is natural, exciting, and it’s better than the alternative!

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