Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week: February 28 - March 2
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Imagine this:
As you step through the threshold of your cozy abode, weary from the day's toil, a sense of anticipation prickles your senses. It's a February evening, the chill of winter still clinging to the air outside, but within your sanctuary, warmth emanates from every corner. The soft glow of lamps casts comforting shadows across the room, inviting you to unwind and indulge in the simple pleasures that await.
With a sigh of relief, you peel off the layers of the day, shedding responsibilities like a second skin. The weight of exhaustion begins to lift as you slip into something more comfortable, shedding the armor of the outside world for the familiar embrace of home.
But there's one more refuge awaiting you, tucked away on a shelf, patiently waiting to be discovered. It's the brand new book you've been eagerly anticipating, its glossy cover beckoning you with promises of adventure, wisdom, or perhaps just a brief escape from reality. Tonight, it's your ticket to another realm, a doorway to infinite possibilities.
You brew a steaming cup of tea, the fragrant aroma filling the air and soothing your senses. With mug in hand, you settle into your favorite armchair, its cushions worn just enough to conform to your contours like an old friend. The world outside fades into obscurity as you crack open the book, the crisp pages whispering secrets yet untold.
As you delve into the first chapter, the words weave a tapestry of imagination, drawing you into a world that exists only between the covers. Characters come to life, their struggles and triumphs becoming your own as you navigate the twists and turns of the narrative. Time loses its meaning as you lose yourself in the rhythm of the prose, each page a new discovery waiting to be uncovered.
Outside, the sky darkens, stars peeking through the veil of night like distant diamonds. But within the confines of your sanctuary, you are cocooned in a world of your own making, where anything is possible and the boundaries of reality blur with each turn of the page.
The worries of the day melt away, replaced by a sense of wonderment and possibility. Here, in the realm of literature, you are free to roam wherever your imagination takes you, unencumbered by the constraints of the mundane world. You become a traveler, journeying through lands both familiar and foreign, guided only by the author's words and your own sense of adventure.
As the hours slip by unnoticed, you find yourself reaching the final pages of the book, the bittersweet realization dawning that soon your journey will come to an end. But even as you close the cover for the last time, a part of that world remains with you, nestled within the recesses of your mind like a cherished memory.
With a contented sigh, you set the book aside, its story now a part of your own. The February evening stretches before you, still and serene, a tableau of tranquility. And as you drift off to sleep, dreams infused with the magic of the written word dance behind your closed eyelids, promising new adventures yet to come.
Falling Through the Night by Gail Marlene Schwartz
Audrey Meyerwitz wants to fall in love and have a family. But for this queer 30-something insomniac who’s struggled with Generalized Anxiety Disorder since childhood, it’s a goal that’s far from simple. When best friend Jessica, a recovering alcoholic, helps introvert Audrey with a profile on SheLovesHer, Audrey takes that scary first step toward her lifelong dream. Through online dating, immigrating to Canada, and having a baby with Down Syndrome, she struggles and grows. But when Audrey unearths a secret about her mother, everything about her identity as a mother, a daughter, and a person with mental illness ruptures. How do we create closeness from roots of deep alienation? With humor, honesty, and complexity, Audrey learns that healthy love means accepting gains and losses, taking off the blinders of fantasy, and embracing the messiness that defines human families.
Fate Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
Since Victoria Aveyard launched the instant #1 New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker, the series has taken readers by storm. Now the finale is here to continue this epic fantasy series.
Change your fate—or kneel to it.
The Companions are scattered and hopeless, torn from each other. After Corayne barely escapes with her life, she must forge on alone, leaving her blade broken and her allies behind her. Her only consolation—Corayne now has Taristan's sword, the only Spindleblade left in existence. Without it, he can’t rip open any more Spindles. Without it, he can’t end the world.
But Taristan and Queen Erida will not be defeated so easily. Both will burn the world to bring down Corayne—and bring forth their demon god, What Waits, ready to claim the realm of Allward for his own.
In a final clash between kingdoms and gods, all must rise to fight—or be destroyed.
Everything has come to this. Prepare for a larger-than-life, unforgettable finale to the instant New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker series, where a shattered alliance must rise from the ashes to make their final stand against a ruthless enemy…and the demon god who looks to shroud the entire world in darkness.
Don’t miss Victoria Aveyard’s New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, a sweeping tale of power, intrigue, and betrayal, where the only certainty is betrayal. Perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series.
Ghost Island by Max Seeck
On a secluded island, homicide detective Jessica Niemi must investigate a drowning that is tied to a frightening ghostly legend in this riveting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE WITCH HUNTER.
Jessica Niemi is put on leave after a violent altercation between her and a belligerent man makes headlines. To escape the unwanted scrutiny, Jessica travels to a remote island in the Åland archipelago and rents a room at a small seaside inn. She is hoping to be left alone as she faces the possibility that she is losing what is left of her sanity but three elderly visitors have arrived at the inn for their yearly sojourn. Jessica learns that they are the remaining ‘birds of spring’, former refugees who fled Finland as children during World War II and lived together for a few months in an orphanage on the island.
The orphanage no longer exists but the local legend about one of its inhabitants, a girl named Maija, still haunts the surviving orphans. Every evening Maija would put on her blue coat and stand on the pier, looking out at the dark water until one night, she disappeared and was never seen again. When one of the ‘birds of spring’ is found dead, drowned alongside the same pier, and Jessica learns about two other deaths from the past, also connected to the orphanage, she has no choice but to try and put the pieces of this terrifying mystery together.
Jessica can’t be sure whether she’s facing a killer or—just like the legend says—the ghost of Maija, the girl in the blue coat. Uncertain what is real and what is not, Jessica desperately searches for answers that she hopes will stop the murders and finally silence her own demons once and for all…
Sisters of Belfast by Melanie Maure
Orphaned during the Second World War, Aelish and Isabel McGuire—known as the twins of Belfast—are given over to the austere care of the Sisters of Bethlehem. Though they are each all the other has, the girls are propelled in opposite directions as they grow up. Rebellious Isabel turns her back on the church and Ireland, traveling to Newfoundland where she pursues a perilous yet independent life. Devout Aelish chooses to remain in Northern Ireland and takes the veil, burying painful truths beneath years of silence. For decades the two are separated, each unaware of the other’s life. But after years of isolation Aelish is unexpectedly summoned to Newfoundland, where she and her estranged sister begin to bridge the chasm between them.
Reunion brings to light the painful secrets and seismic deceptions that have kept these sisters apart, leaving the McGuire twins to begin reconstructing their understanding about themselves as women and as family–what they know of love, hope, and above all, forgiveness.
The Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull
Author Interview with Jessica Bull
A witty, engaging murder mystery featuring Jane Austen as an intrepid amateur sleuth—the first in a series.
Jane Austen—sparkling, spirited, and incredibly clever—is suddenly thrust into a mystery when a milliner’s dead body is found locked inside a cupboard in the middle of a ball. When Jane’s brother Georgy is found with some jewelry belonging to the deceased, the local officials see it as an open-and-shut case: one which is likely to end with his death. Jane is certain that he is innocent, and there is more to the murder than meets the eye. Her investigations send her on a journey through local society, as Jane’s suspect list keeps on growing— and her keen observational skills of people will be put to the test to solve the crime and save her brother.
Three-Inch Teeth by C.J Box
A rogue grizzly bear has gone on a rampage—killing, among others, the potential fiancée of Joe’s daughter. At the same time, Dallas Cates, who Joe helped lock up years ago, is released from prison with a special list tattooed on his skin. He wants revenge on the people who sent him away: the six people he blames for the deaths of his entire family and the loss of his reputation and property.
Using the grizzly attacks as cover, Cates sets out to methodically check off his list. The problem is, both Nate Romanowski and Joe Pickett are on it.
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything…
Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.
Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?
Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards
When Anne Elliott broke up with Ben Wentworth, it seemed like the right thing to do . . . but now, eight years later, she’s not so sure.
In her scenic hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Anne is comfortable focusing on her successful career: filling her late mother’s shoes as town councilor and executive director of her theater company. She certainly keeps busy as the all-around wrangler of eccentric locals, self-centered family members, elaborate festivals, and the occasional attacking goose. But the more she tries to convince herself that her life is fine as is, the more it all feels like a show—and not nearly as good as the ones put on by her theater company. She’s the always responsible Anne, always taken for granted and cleaning up after other people, and the memories of happier times with Ben Wentworth still haunt her.
So when the nearby Kellynch Winery is bought by Ben’s aunt and uncle, Anne’s world is set ablaze as her old flame crashes back into her life—and it’s clear he hasn’t forgiven her for breaking his heart. A joint project between the winery and Anne’s theater forces both Ben and Anne to confront their complicated history, and as they spend more time together, Anne can’t help but wonder if there might be hope for their future after all.
The Jump by Brittney Morris
From the acclaimed author of SLAY and The Cost of Knowing comes an action-driven, high-octane “thrill ride” (Kirkus Reviews) about a group of working-class teens in Seattle who join a dangerous scavenger hunt with a prize that can save their families and community.
Influence is power. Power creates change. And change is exactly what Team Jericho needs.
Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han are the four cornerstones of Team Jericho, the best scavenger hunting team in all of Seattle. Each has their own specialty: Jax, the puzzler; Yas, the parkourist; Spider, the hacker; and Han, the cartographer. But now with an oil refinery being built right in their backyard, each also has their own problems. Their families are at risk of losing their jobs, their communities, and their homes.
So when The Order, a mysterious vigilante organization, hijacks the scavenger hunting forum and concocts a puzzle of its own, promising a reward of influence, Team Jericho sees it as the chance of a lifetime. If they win this game, they could change their families’ fates and save the city they love so much. But with an opposing team hot on their heels, it’s going to take more than street smarts to outwit their rivals.
My Name Was Eden by Eleanor Barker-White
In this edge-of-your-seat psychological debut, a mother’s experience with Vanishing Twin Syndrome triggers disturbing changes in her teenage daughter, perfect for fans of The Push and The Undoing.
One twin vanished. The other twin remained. Until now...
Jam, Too? By JaNay Brown-Wood
Lustrous illustrations and a rhythmic text featuring a cumulative list of sounds bring to life the thrill of an impromptu jam session and the joy of making music together.
A drum circle is forming on the beach, and one fascinated child would love to join in. Soon there’s everything from a conga’s pat-a-pat-a, pat pat to some bongos’ taka taka, ta ta—and it looks like so much fun! But what do you do when you don’t have a drum? Well, when you let the music move you, you just might find other ways to jam, too!
Compass and Blade by Rachel Greenlaw
On the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira, like her mother before her, is a wrecker, one of the seven on the rope who swim out to shipwrecks to plunder them. Mira’s job is to rescue survivors – if there are any. After all, she never feels the cold of the frigid ocean waters and the waves seem to sing to her soul. But the people of Rosevear never admit the truth: that they set the beacons themselves to lure ships into the rocks.
When the council watch lays a trap to put an end to the wrecking, they arrest Mira’s father. Desperate to save him from the noose, Mira strikes a deal with an enigmatic wreck survivor guarding layers of secrets behind his captivating eyes and sets off to find something her mother has left her, a family secret buried deep in the sea.
With just nine days to find what she needs to rescue her father, all Mira knows for certain is this: The sea gives. The sea takes. And it’s up to her to do what she must to save the ones she loves.
Across the Narrows by Martha Burns
Author Interview with Martha Burns.
In 1924, at Brooklyn's Kings County Hospital, Ruby del Palacio delivers a blue baby weeks early. The baby girl dies for want of oxygen. Within a year, Ruby delivers another baby girl named Alice.
Gradually realizing that her sole role in the del Palacio household is to conceive, deliver, and nurse babies, trapped by societal expectations in a time of limited women's rights and rampant injustices, Ruby summons the courage to sue for a legal separation from her Colombian husband, Juan. Her efforts are met with a counter lawsuit, resulting in Juan being granted custody of their six children. Months later, he flees the state with the children, leaving Ruby abandoned and bereft.
Decades later, Alice embarks on a journey to find her long-lost mother. It is only when a dear friend imparts a profound revelation to Alice, explaining that forgiveness necessitates relinquishing all hope for a different past, that Alice finds the strength to accept her history.
Across the Narrows unravels as a sweeping family saga, centered around a tragedy that shapes the del Palacio family's destiny and leaves little room for forgiveness. With themes of love, loss, and resilience, this poignant novel explores the transformative power of forgiveness and the pursuit of one's own identity in the face of adversity.
Blank by Zibby Owens
Pippa Jones is a fortyish former literary sensation who fears she will be a one-hit wonder. After the follow-up book she was almost done writing, Podlusters, had to be tossed (it ended up sharing a plot and title with superstar author Ella Rankin’s summer blockbuster!), she couldn’t write a thing. Months of staring at a blank page made her confidence vanish like a one-night stand. When she finds out that she has only five days left to finish (or rather, start) or repay an advance she’s already spent, Pippa has a brilliantly original idea. Okay, fine, her twelve-year-old son came up with it as a joke, but Pippa and her teenage daughter approved.
Pippa’s not only going to make a bold statement, but she’ll change the book world while she’s at it! Can she pull it off? At this point, she doesn’t have a choice.
When Pippa’s publisher gets intimately involved, it unlocks a series of plot twists she never saw coming. From the courtyards of posh Beverly Hills hotels and Malibu mega-mansions to Brentwood and Santa Monica bookstores, Pippa races against time―in her used Volvo―and discovers more about her career, marriage, family, friends, and herself than she ever could have dreamed up.
A Yellow House in the Mountains by Glenn Hileman
Based on a remarkable true story, Glenn Hileman’s “A Yellow House in the Mountains” honors the lives of his parents, Lyle and Marylin, who were lost to Colorado’s East Troublesome Fire, by showcasing the love, faith, and determination which guided them through difficult times.
“A Yellow House in the Mountains” traces Lyle and Marylin’s relationship from their high-school sweetheart days to their 68-year marriage. Filled with a sense of the couple’s ambition and determination, “A Yellow House” will leave readers with a strengthened resolve to overcome life’s challenges and embrace life’s miracles.
The Waltham Murders by Susan Clare Zalkind
September 11, 2001 is an unforgettable date. But for Boston area investigative reporter Susan Clare Zalkind, it was another September 11th that became a turning point in her life. On that day in 2011, three men were murdered in a second-floor apartment on a dead-end street in Waltham, Massachusetts. One of them was her friend, Erik Weissman. Despite the brutality of the triple homicide, the district attorney’s investigation was less than exhaustive and would quickly be overshadowed 18 months later by the Boston Marathon bombing. While the bombing tragedy was making international headlines, the Waltham investigation was hitting dead ends and authorities were providing little information to the public and the shattered families and friends of the murder victims. To get answers and to hold the powers that be accountable, Zalkind decided to dig into the Waltham murders herself.
The result of Zalkind’s investigation is THE WALTHAM MURDERS: One Woman’s Pursuit to Expose the Truth Behind a Murder and a National Tragedy (Little A; March 1, 2024). First reporting on the story of the murders—a case that remains open to this day—for Boston magazine and This American Life, Zalkind spent over a decade conducting hundreds of interviews, sitting through months of testimony, filing public records requests, and combing through tens of thousands of pages of documents pursuing the truth behind the murders of Erik, Raphael Teken, and Brendan Mess. She reported on the marathon bombing trial for the Daily Beast and wrote and produced the 2022 Hulu docuseries The Murders Before the Marathon.
Building on her previous reporting, Zalkind reveals shocking new details about the case, weaving together a dark yet thrilling narrative that should surprise even those well versed in the bombing story. The Boston Marathon bombing marked a new era of domestic terrorism and misinformation. In her search for answers, Zalkind proves that the gruesome slaying of three local marijuana dealers is not only central to the story of the terrorist attack, but a jaw dropping account on its own terms.
