Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week: January 28 - February 3
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Imagine this:
On this crisp winter night, as the world outside your window is bathed in the ethereal glow of moonlight, you find yourself drawn to the allure of a brand new book. The scent of burning wood from the fireplace mingles with the aroma of a freshly brewed cup of hot cocoa, creating a comforting symphony of winter fragrances. The silence of the night beckons you to settle into a plush armchair, its embrace promising the perfect sanctuary for a literary escape.
With a sense of anticipation, you cradle the pristine book in your hands, its cover promising untold tales and unexplored landscapes. The weight of the hardbound volume feels reassuring, a tangible promise of the adventures that await within its pages. The cover art, an intricately designed portal into the author's imagination, invites you to step into a world yet uncharted.
As you open the book, the sound of the pages rustling is a gentle whisper, echoing the hushed ambiance of the winter night. The first chapter unfolds like a delicate snowfall, each sentence settling softly, creating a sense of calm. The characters emerge from the words, their personalities taking shape in your mind like frost patterns on a windowpane. The author's prose is a dance, a delicate choreography that weaves a tapestry of emotions, drawing you into a narrative embrace.
The winter night outside is silent, the stillness broken only by the occasional crackling of the fire. The glow of a reading lamp casts a warm halo over the pages, creating an intimate cocoon where the outside world fades away. The darkness beyond the window becomes a backdrop for the luminescent words that dance before your eyes, illuminating the room with the magic of storytelling.
The chill in the air becomes an afterthought as you delve deeper into the narrative. The characters become your companions, their trials and triumphs resonating with the quiet corners of your soul. You find yourself transported to different realms, whether it's a snowy medieval kingdom or a bustling cityscape adorned with twinkling lights. The immersive power of the words transforms the armchair into a vessel, sailing you through the vast seas of imagination.
Outside, winter may be asserting its dominance, but within the confines of your reading nook, a different world unfolds. The protagonist's journey becomes your own, the challenges and revelations striking a chord that reverberates within. The winter night becomes a silent witness to the emotions stirred by the unfolding narrative, its hibernating trees and frozen landscapes serving as a stark contrast to the vibrant worlds brought to life in the book.
The hot cocoa, forgotten on a nearby table, gradually cools as your focus remains riveted on the pages. The sense of time becomes fluid, the hours slipping away unnoticed in the enchantment of the story. The winter night, with its hushed beauty, becomes the perfect backdrop for a solitary rendezvous with the written word.
As the climax approaches, you feel a mixture of exhilaration and trepidation. The resolution of the plot looms on the horizon, and you find yourself torn between the desire to unravel the mystery and the reluctance to part ways with the characters who have become your winter companions. The climax unfolds with the intensity of a snowstorm, each revelation adding layers to the narrative until, finally, the resolution settles like freshly fallen snow, covering everything in a quiet peace.
With a sense of satisfaction, you close the book, its pages now marked with the fingerprints of your journey. The winter night outside still reigns, but within the cocoon of your reading nook, the book has left an indelible mark. As you glance out the window, a serene landscape awaits, its wintry beauty now tinged with the echoes of the story you've just experienced. The night may be cold, but within the confines of your reading sanctuary, the warmth of storytelling lingers, a beacon that invites you to return whenever the winter night calls for a literary sojourn.
Scroll down to find out what book you might be reading on this winter night…
Belonging by Jill Fordyce
Jenny is thirteen when an epic dust storm rolls into her central California town in December 1977. Bedridden after contracting a life-threatening illness in the storm and suffering a shocking loss, Jenny realizes she will never be cared for by the mother who both neglects and terrifies her or the father who allows it. She relies on her cousin, Heather, who has the loving home Jenny longs for; her beloved great-uncle, Gino, the last link between generations; her best friend, Henry, a free spirit with whom she shares an inexplicable bond; and earnest baseball star, Billy, who becomes her first love. Inspired by a painting titled “Belonging” she found in Uncle Gino’s antique store, Jenny has a picture of the home and family she hopes to create someday—one completely different than her own childhood. After a stunning turn of events in their lives, Jenny and Henry leave for college in LA together in the summer of 1982—Jenny fleeing a broken heart, and Henry running from something he can’t reveal, even to his best friend.
Returning home years later, a devastating family secret is revealed, and the life Jenny so carefully created collides with the one she left behind. Spanning three decades, BELONGING is about first love and heartbreak, friendship and secrets, family and forgiveness, hometowns and coming of age, and memory and music. The heart of the story is Jenny’s struggle to undo the binds of a childhood that have deeply affected her life, the painful path to love endured by children raised in alcoholic families, and the grim reality of believing you must hide a part of yourself in order to belong.
The American Queen by Vanessa Miller
Author Interview with Vanessa Miller
In 1869 a kingdom rose in the South. And Louella was its queen.
Over the twenty-four years she’s been enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there’s no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry.
But when William finally listens to Louella’s pleas and leads the formerly enslaved people out of their plantation, Louella begins to replace her hate with hope. Hope that they will find a place where they can live free from fear. Hope that despite her many unanswered prayers, she can learn to trust for new miracles.
Soon, William and Louella become the appointed king and queen of their self-proclaimed Kingdom of the Happy Land. And though they are still surrounded by opposition, they continue to share a message of joy and goodness—and fight for the freedom and dignity of all.
Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen shares the unsung true history of a kingdom built as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life.
José Feeds the World by David Unger
This inspiring true life story of Michelin-starred chef José Andrés, the James Beard Award-winning founder of the World Central Kitchen and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, empowers kids to care about their communities and look at food in a whole new way!
Today, José Andrés is known as the humanitarian founder of World Central Kitchen, a global organization that provides free meals to people living in places affected by earthquakes, hurricanes, disease, and war. But once upon a time, he was a little boy scrubbing carrots in his parents’ cocina, dreaming of the ways that he could grow up to help people!
An inspiring picture book biography with lush paintings by the award-winning illustrator of Dinosaur Lady and Shark Lady, José Feeds the World (On-sale January 30, 2024; Ages 5-8) shows children everywhere that they, too, can ¬find their calling and make the world a better place.
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester
Author Interview with Natasha Lester
"Vogue meets Daisy Jones & the Six," says New York Times bestseller Kate Quinn, in this bold novel of feminism and fashion set in 1970s New York City and the historic designers’ showdown in Versailles.
Everyone remembers her daringly short, silver lamé dress. It was iconic photo capturing an electric moment, where emerging American designer Astrid Bricard is young, uninhibited, and on the cusp of fashion and feminism’s changing landscape. She and fellow designer Hawk Jones are all over Vogue magazine and New York City's disco scene. Yet she can't escape the shadow of her mother, Mizza Bricard, infamous "muse" for Christian Dior. Astrid would give anything to take her place among the great houses of couture–on her own terms. I won’t inspire it when I can create it.
But then Astrid disappeared…
Now Astrid's daughter, Blythe, holds what remains of her mother and grandmother's legacies. Of all the Bricard women, she can gather the torn, painfully beautiful fabrics of three generations of heartbreak to create something that will shake the foundations of fashion. The only piece missing is the one question no one's been able to answer: What really happened to Astrid?
The Boy with the Star Tattoo by Talia Carner
From acclaimed author of The Third Daughter comes an epic historical novel of ingenuity and courage, of love and loss, spanning postwar France when Israeli agents roamed the countryside to rescue hidden Jewish orphans—to the 1969 daring escape of the Israeli boats of Cherbourg.
1942: As the Vichy government hunts for Jews across France, Claudette Pelletier, a young and talented seamstress and lover of romance novels, falls in love with a Jewish man who seeks shelter at the château where she works. Their whirlwind and desperate romance before he must flee leaves her pregnant and terrified.
When the Nazis invade the Free Zone shortly after the birth of her child, the disabled Claudette is forced to make a heartbreaking choice and escapes to Spain, leaving her baby in the care of his nursemaid. By the time Claudette is able to return years later, her son has disappeared. Unbeknown to his anguished mother, the boy has been rescued by a Youth Aliyah agent searching for Jewish orphans.
1968: When Israeli naval officer Daniel Yarden recruits Sharon Bloomenthal for a secret naval operation in Cherbourg, France, he can’t imagine that he is the target of the agenda of the twenty-year-old grieving the recent loss of her fiancé in a drowned submarine. Sharon suspects that Danny's past in Youth Aliyah may reflect that of her mysterious late mother and she sets out to track her boss’s extraordinary journey as an orphan in a quaint French village all the way to Israel.
As Danny focuses on the future of his people and on executing a daring, crucial operation under France’s radar, he is unaware that the obsessed Sharon follows the breadcrumbs of clues across the country to find her answers. But she is wholly unprepared for the dilemma she must face upon solving the puzzle.
Not Bad for a Girl by Anastasia Ryan
From hilariously awkward lunch breaks to cringe-worthy Zoom calls, this workplace comedy of errors is sure to put a smile on your face.
Indiana "Ana" Aaron is a talented coder and IT specialist, but she doesn't always fit in at work. When she speaks up one too many times for her boss's ego, she's transferred to a remote team—and it's clear this is her last chance to blend in.
Ana sees working from home as a chance at redemption; she can keep her head down and her camera off. But when her new boss praises her assertiveness and thanks Mr. Aaron, she sees no reason to correct him.
The longer Ana waits to set things straight, the more complicated things get. Soon the legend of "Indiana" begins to take on a life of its own, and Ana is in over her head. Fortunately, she has friends at work, including Shane, a handsome tech guy who's smart enough to put the puzzle together and to help her triumph over workplace preconceptions and other nonsense.
The Excitements by CJ Wray
A brilliant and witty drama about two brave female World War II veterans who survived the unthinkable without ever losing their killer instinct…or their joie de vivre.
Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain’s most treasured World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, popping up at commemorative events and history festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they’re still in great form—perfectly put together, sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next “excitement.”
This time it’s a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d’honneur for their part in the liberation of France. And as always, they will be accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie.
Keen historian Archie has always been given to understand that his great aunts had relatively minor roles in the Women’s Royal Navy and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, but that’s only half the story. Both sisters are hiding far more than the usual “official secrets”. There’s a reason sweet Auntie Penny can dispatch a would-be mugger with an umbrella.
This trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans variously intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers.
Keep This Off The Record by Arden Joy
Abigail Meyer and Freya Jonsson can’t stand one another. But could their severe hatred be masking something else entirely?
From the moment they locked eyes in high school, Abby and Freya have been at each other’s throats. Ten years later, when Abby and Freya cross paths again, their old rivalry doesn’t take more than a few minutes to begin anew.
And now Naomi, Abby’s best friend, is falling for Freya’s producer and close pal, Will. Both women are thrilled to see their friends in a happy relationship—except they are now only a few degrees of separation from the person they claim to despise … and they can’t seem to avoid seeing one another.
Keep This off the Record is a fun and fresh LGBTQIA+ story about the freedom to be who you are, even if that means falling for the person you hate.
Necessary Deeds by Mark Wish
Matt Connell, a formerly successful literary agent who's been in prison for four years for a crime of passion-- homicide by strangulation after learning his wife slept with a friend-- receives an early release from Sing Sing to join an FBI undercover investigation of multiple murders in Manhattan. Killings continue to mount as Matt does his best to calm his " Ferrari brain" -- a condition in which his mind accelerates wildly into negative thoughts and worst-case scenarios-- even as he falls in love with a suspect, then discovers disturbing truths about his past and hers. When he finds his own life in danger, can he stand up for the Bureau's heralded principles of Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity? Not to mention genuine love?
Death to Beauty: The Transformative History of Botox by Eugene M. Helveston, MD
In the 1970s, Dr. Alan Scott sought to selectively weaken eye muscles to treat strabismus (when one or both eyes are misaligned) without surgery. After failed attempts with other agents, Scott developed a method to stabilize the bacteria that causes botulism, culminating in a drug that eventually became known as Botox.
In Death to Beauty, Eugene M. Helveston, MD, follows the unlikely story of botulism's 1817 discovery in contaminated German sausages, to its use in military and research facilities, to Scott, an ophthalmologist who aimed to safely use the drug in humans. Scott struggled alone as an unknown in the pharmaceutical industry, searching for clinical trial financing and FDA approval, which he achieved at a fraction of the billions big pharma usually spends to bring a drug to market. Eventually, the company Allergan bought him out, capitalizing on the possibilities for cosmetic uses. Scott's formula was renamed "Botox" and reached annual sales in the billions. After the sale, Scott received no further compensation from Botox sales and remained the same unassuming man.
A fascinating walk through the intricate history of how the world's deadliest toxin starting as a treatment for crossed eyes became a routine tool for the cosmetic industry, Death to Beauty will make you rethink success, beauty, and deadly bacteria.
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
New York Times bestselling author and the Queen of Slow Burn Romance Mariana Zapata’s fan favorite All Rhodes Lead Here, a story about finding love when you least expect it—now with new exclusive content!
The people we lose take a part of us with them…but they leave a part of themselves with us too.
Aurora De La Torre, or Ora to her friends, knows moving back to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a place that was once home and is now full of bittersweet memories of her late mother, isn’t going to be easy. Starting your whole life over probably isn’t supposed to be.
But after breaking up with her longtime, famous musician boyfriend, hiding out in a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart. And checking out her landlord who lives across the driveway just might cure it, too.
Only Tobias Rhodes didn’t rent out the apartment to her, rather it was his teenage son, Amos. Fiercely protective of his family and distrusting of strangers, gruff and grumpy Rhodes initially keeps little miss sunshine Ora at a distance. But over days and weeks, long hikes and fireside chats, Aurora breaks down his walls and soon an unbreakable friendship blossoms into a once-in-a-lifetime love.
A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen
Mike Chen brings us an epic love story—in a time loop. When strangers Mariana Pineda and Carter Cho get stuck together repeating the same four days, finally reaching Friday might mean having to give up the connection growing between them.
Mrs. Lowe-Porter by Jo Salas
A fascinating reimagining of the overlooked, complicated life of Thomas Mann's translator, Helen Lowe-Porter
The literary giant Thomas Mann balked at a female translator, but he might well owe his standing in the Western canon to a little-known American woman, Helen Lowe-Porter. Based closely on historical source material, Jo Salas's novel Mrs. Lowe-Porter sympathetically reveals a brilliant woman's struggle to be appreciated as a translator and find her voice in a male-dominated culture. Married to the charming classicist Elias Lowe, whom she met and fell in love with while in Munich, the story weaves one woman's journey as her husband Elias's career soars and her translation work earns Mann the Nobel Prize. The novel celebrates Helen Lowe-Porter as she learns to risk stepping out from the long shadow of the dominating men of her life to become a person of letters in her own right.
Mayluna by Kelley McNeil
In the 1990s, Carter Wills was the lead singer of the English alt-rock band Mayluna, securing his place among music legends. His tortured-heart lyrics struck a chord. And so did his secret connection to a woman whose love changed all their lives. Who was she?
Evie Waters’s two grown children discover an iconic photo in an old magazine of a “mystery girl” with Carter: their mother. It all started in a wistful time and place for Evie, her twenty-fifth summer. A young columnist forging her career. Backstage euphoria. A long-shot interview. And an almost cosmic connection with an enigmatic musician on the rise.
What happened between them is a hidden story no one, not even Evie’s family, knows. Until now. Worlds apart, Carter and Evie finally reveal the story―joyful, regretful, and unforgettable. It was a time when the stars aligned for a love so profound the whole world felt it. It was as if it would last forever.
Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar
Author Interview with Amina Akhtar
A psychological thriller with a twist, Almost Surely Dead is a chilling account of how one woman’s life spins out of control after a terrifying—and seemingly random—attempt on her life.
Dunia Ahmed lives an ordinary life—or she definitely used to. Now she’s the subject of a true crime podcast. She’s been missing for over a year, and no one knows if she’s dead or alive. But her story has listeners obsessed, and people everywhere are sporting merch that demands “Find Dunia!”
In the days before her disappearance, Dunia is a successful pharmacist living in New York. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she’s coping with a broken engagement and the death of her mother. But then something happens that really shakes up her world: someone tries to murder her.
When her would-be killer winds up dead, Dunia figures the worst is over. But then there’s another attempt on her life…and another. And police suspect someone close to her may be the culprit. Dunia struggles to make sense of what’s happening. And as childhood superstitions seep into her reality, she becomes convinced that someone—or something—is truly after her.
Castles and Ruins by Rue Matthiessen
Castles & Ruins is inspired by a summer Rue Matthiessen spent in Galway, with her husband and son.
She had lived in Galway when she was approximately her son’s age (6), with her mother, poet Deborah Love, and her father, writer Peter Matthiessen. Their house was on a small island in a huge lake called Lough Corrib. Her mother died six years later, when Rue was thirteen. A year before that, Deborah Love had published a book called Annaghkeen, (1970, named for the castle on the shore across from the island).
Rue had always wanted to return to Ireland, to try to find the island where she had lived. Finally, she was able to make a plan, and set out with her husband and son. As soon she arrives, she finds that Ireland is much more than a vacation with an end point, it is a trove of memories—a Pandora’s box.
Though her mother had left Annaghkeen, events had been left hanging in time, along with multiple unanswered questions. Rue’s feelings about having lost her rise to the surface afresh, as well as memories of her moody, intense father, who was just then on the cusp of a major literary career. The sixties, and her parents' passionate, always crumbling marriage become vivid, like a film reel before her eyes.
Each chapter begins with a quote from her mother’s book, which further illuminates the trip as it unfolds. They drive the circumference of the island, from church to ruin, from charming village to dramatic seaside cliff. Rue finds ancient, wild Ireland unchanged, and deeply familiar. After all, the seeds of her life were sown here. Ireland is where she remembers it all, and discovers her own beginnings. By following coordinates from Annaghkeen, she finds the island and castle at the end, just as she had left them.
