Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week: December 14 - January 4
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It’s the end of the year, and everything feels suspended, like the world is holding its breath between one chapter and the next. Outside, the streets are quieter than usual, the holiday rush having passed, leaving a kind of calm in its wake. The air is cold and crisp, and the light is softer now, filtered by the long shadows of winter afternoons. You’ve carved out this moment for yourself, a rare and welcome pause in the swirl of time, to start a new book and let the year’s closing days unfold quietly around you.
You find your favorite spot—a corner of the couch or maybe a chair near the window—and settle in. There’s something about this time of year that makes everything feel more meaningful. It’s not just another day, another book. It’s the last book you’ll start this year, the final story you’ll carry with you as you cross into the next. The thought lingers as you open the book to the first page, feeling the weight of it in your hands, the promise of words yet to be read.
The room around you is cozy and warm, a contrast to the chill pressing against the windows. A blanket is draped over your lap, its familiar softness adding to the sense of comfort. Maybe you’ve lit a candle on the table beside you, its soft flame flickering gently, casting a warm glow that keeps the encroaching darkness at bay. The scent is subtle—perhaps something wintry like cedar or vanilla, a quiet reminder of the season’s stillness.
The book feels like the perfect companion for this moment, a way to step into a new world while the current one slows to a standstill. You read the first few sentences, letting the words draw you in, their rhythm syncing with your own. There’s a quiet magic in this act, starting something new as the year ends, as if you’re already planting the seeds for what’s to come.
Occasionally, your mind drifts—not in distraction, but in reflection. The end of a year has a way of doing that, nudging you to think about what’s passed and what lies ahead. The book in your hands feels like a bridge between the two, something that will carry you forward even as it anchors you to this fleeting moment. You’re not in a rush to finish it. This isn’t about racing toward a goal; it’s about savoring the act of beginning, of stepping into a story and letting it unfold at its own pace.
Outside, the sky is a deepening gray, the day slipping quietly into evening. There’s a stillness to the world, a kind of hush that feels rare and precious. You glance up from the page every so often, taking in the view beyond the window. Bare trees stretch their branches against the sky, and there’s a faint shimmer of frost on the ground, catching what little light remains. It’s beautiful in its simplicity, a moment that feels perfectly in tune with the one you’re creating inside.
As you read, the book starts to take root, its characters and settings growing clearer, its words weaving themselves into your mind. You can already tell this story will stay with you, not just because of its own merits, but because of the time in which you’re reading it. Every book carries the imprint of the moment you read it, and this one, started at the year’s end, will always remind you of this quiet, reflective pause.
The hours slip by without you noticing. The light fades completely, leaving you in the soft glow of your candle and the comforting cocoon of your blanket. You pause for a moment, closing the book on a finished chapter, letting the words settle. There’s a sense of gratitude that washes over you—not just for the story you’ve begun, but for this time you’ve taken for yourself, this moment to reflect, to dream, to simply be.
As the year winds down, you know that this book will carry you into the next, its story unfolding as yours does, page by page, day by day. It’s a comforting thought, a reminder that even as one chapter ends, another always begins. You pull the blanket closer, turn back to the next page, and let yourself get lost again, ready to savor every word as the year quietly turns.
Bits of String Too Small to Save by Ruby Peru (audiobook)
Ruby Peru’s, Bits of String Too Small to Save is a witty, classically illustrated fantasy for adults that asks: What’s the difference between animals and people? Magic and technology? A true home and a place to live? In 2021, Bits of String Too Small to Save was a New York City Big Book Award distinguished favorite. In the novel (now a dramatized, full-cast audiobook) innocent ElizabethAnn, her criminal genius Grandma, and their loyal sheepdog Jackson dive out of the postmodern police state of No Oaks, through a hidden portal, into the forested dystopia of Bumblegreen. There, ElizabethAnn must rescue this world from a terrible blight—or be executed as the cause of it. In the process, she investigates the disappearance of an ancient genderless magician, befriends a reluctant teenage queen, and rides a scheming talking monkey … all in order to restore Grandma’s scientific reputation and make this troubled land their new, true home.
The long-awaited release of the audio format for the book won the 2022 Deanna Tulley Multimedia Prize. Narrated by the author herself and voiced by a wide cast, this full-cast recording brings the novel’s colorful, imaginative characters to life in fresh new ways –sure to delight dark fantasy readers of all ages.
I Died on a Tuesday by Jane Corry
From the internationally bestselling author of Coming to Find You and My Husband's Wife comes another edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller about a harrowing crime, the long-buried secrets surrounding it, and the explosive uncovering of the truth.
18-year-old Janie has the world and her bright future ahead of her. She's about to leave behind the small, seaside town she's known all her life to embark on a career in London in book publishing and couldn't be more excited. She'll miss home—especially her dad. They've only had each other since her mother died years earlier. But she's about to start her life and she can't wait.
She's on her way home after her last early dawn swim in the bay when the peaceful stillness of the quiet Tuesday morning is suddenly shattered. A white van careens around the corner and onto the quiet street Janie is riding her bike along, and in one swift moment, her life is forever changed, and her dreams of a new life destroyed. She's brutally run-down by the van and left for dead on the street.
Twenty years later…
Robbie Manning, international pop superstar and all-around good guy, answers the front door of his palatial home to a pair of police officers who inform him that he's being arrested for the attempted murder of Janie White. Everyone knows the horrifying story of Janie and what happened to her, and the mystery of who could have done such an awful thing has rattled the world for the last twenty years. But as word of Robbie's arrest spreads, no one—including Robbie's family—can believe it; Robbie is upstanding, a model citizen and family man. He couldn't possibly have committed a hit-and-run that left a young woman paralyzed and unable to speak.
Robbie doesn't deny the accusations. He's been waiting for the truth to come out for the last two decades, and he's ready for his punishment. He deserves it after what he did to Janie . . .
. . . But what if there's more to the story? What if someone else knows what really happened that day?
Janie may be the only one who can reveal the truth—if they can get her to tell her side of the story..
The Secret Daughter by Anne Gracie
Also listed in Books Set in Paris and Books Set in London
Orphaned Zoë Benoît has spent the last three years in Paris learning how to be a lady. But Zoë is torn—as an independent spirit and a talented artist, she cannot help but want more than the tightly controlled life of a society lady.
On an impulsive visit to the château where her mother lived, Zoë, disguised as a maidservant named Vita, meets a handsome wandering artist, known simply as Reynard. One blissful week with the charming Reynard convinces Zoë that this is the man and the life for her—until she discovers what he’s been hiding from her, and she flees, heartbroken.
Longing for the chance to redeem himself, Reynard searches far and wide for the woman he knows as Vita, to no avail. Disheartened, he returns to England to reluctantly resume his role as Julian Fox, the Earl of Foxton. However, when he sees one of Zoë’s paintings, he realizes she’s in London, and becomes desperate to find her before it’s too late. But even if they reunite, can he convince Zoë he’s worthy of her trust and prove to her that, with him, she can be a free-spirited artist and a countess?
The Bushcraft 101 Field Log by Dave Canterbury
Head out on your next wilderness trek equipped with the ultimate companion—The Bushcraft 101 Field Log. This notebook is a must-have for Dave Canterbury and it’s your indispensable tool for documenting and tracking your next bushcraft adventure.
With sections dedicated to gear inventory, conditions, observations, and notes, this book offers a structured framework for recording your outdoor experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned survivalist or a novice camper, the field log lets you track the progress, document your experiences, and continually improve your outdoor skills.
Dave Canterbury, the bestselling author of the Bushcraft series, has always emphasized the importance of carrying a notebook on any bushcraft adventure. Now, with his very own field log, recording each outing becomes easier and more organized. The log includes space for packing lists, tracking pace and directions, observing flora and fauna, and keeping notes on the highs and lows of adventuring.
Gear up, step into the wild, and let The Bushcraft 101 Field Log be your trusted companion on your journey to wilderness mastery.
Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson
A recovering alcoholic, Emma is relieved to be celebrating a milestone she never thought she’d reach: one year sober. She has spent the past year shutting out the world beyond her steady rotation of group meetings and her 9-5 office job where she is only known as deeply-functional Work Emma and not as someone who had to recently admit to giving her mother crabs when she used her towel or ran into a one-night-stand she apparently met at an Ed Sheeran concert. She’s hoping that achieving one year sober will wash away the last of her shame and regret, and that she’ll finally feel shiny and brand new.
But just as Emma crosses what she thinks will be her finish line, she’s suddenly pushed out of the safe social bubble she’s built around herself. Her estranged father mysteriously reappears just as she’s assigned to plan her office holiday party (something she has zero expertise in as a socially awkward recovering alcoholic) and meets Ben, a swoon-worthy IT guy who laughs when she calls her flakey computer Mrs. Bennett and doesn’t balk when she talks about her past. Between her father, Ben, and the rest of the party planning committee, Emma is forced to open up her life, face down difficult relationships, and grapple with maybe never being the perfect version of herself.
A sharp debut that explores complicated families, in the vein of REALLY GOOD, ACTUALLY by Monica Heisey, GHOSTS by Dolly Alderton, and FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK by Elissa Sussman—with a sober twist, REALLY GOOD ACTUALLY will make you laugh, cry, and long for an office meet-cute.
The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless
A woman’s investigation into her sister’s death exposes the dark side of a secret life in a gripping novel of power, money, and murder by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
Sisters Nadia and Cass Brenner are heirs to Ocean House, a decades-old empire that builds superyachts for the rich and powerful: emirs, oligarchs, and titans of industry throughout America and Europe. They’re a next-generation success with the design of their soon-to-be-commissioned megayacht for a Chinese billionaire. But the sisters’ entrée into the coveted Asian market is tragically cut short when Cass falls from a fortieth-floor hotel balcony.
A Singapore detective rules suicide. Nadia’s been in the yacht business too long not to be suspicious. Especially when she discovers Cass’s involvement in dangerously illicit activities. Pulled into the same web of betrayal, lies, and secrets that trapped her sister, Nadia is on the most perilous mission of her life. Because uncovering the truth behind her sister’s death could tear the Brenner family apart―and it just might get her killed.
From Seattle to Austria to the South China Sea, Nadia must hold on to the one thing that can keep her safe. It’s the Brenner family motto: Trust no one.
