New Books 11/11/19
The National Book Awards were established in 1950 to celebrate the best writing in America. This week’s list includes several of the finalists for that award. In addition are new autobiographies by Demi Moore and Elton John and next-in-series featuring Virgil Flowers (John Sanford), Charlie Parker (John Connolly), and Bailey (David Cameron.)
Bloody Genius by John Sandford
Virgil Flowers is brought in to investigate a murder, the result of two feuding university departments that have faced off on the battleground of PC culture on campus, and he soon comes to realize he’s dealing with people who, on this one particular issue, are functionally crazy.
A Book of Bones by John Connolly
From the forests of Maine to the deserts of the Mexican border, from the canals of Amsterdam to the streets of London, Charlie Parker will track those who would cast this world into darkness.
Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris
A novel based on a true story follows a Russian woman who is forced by a concentration-camp commandant to become his lover and is subsquently sent to Siberia after being found guilty of collaborating with the enemy.
Death is Hard Work by Khaled Khalifa
With the landscape of their childhood now a labyrinth of competing armies whose actions are at once arbitrary and lethal, the siblings’ decision to set aside their differences and honor their father’s request to be buried in Damascus quickly balloons from a minor commitment into an epic and life-threatening quest. National Book Award Finalist
A Dog’s Promise by Bruce Cameron
A family on the verge of breaking apart needs Bailey’s help, but if Bailey helps this family he won’t remember his previous lives, the connections he’s made, and the humans he’s met and loved.
Full Throttle: Stories by Joe Hill
Joe Hill dissects timeless human struggles in thirteen relentless tales of supernatural suspense, including “In The Tall Grass,” one of two stories co-written with Stephen King, basis for the terrifying feature film from Netflix.
Girl by Edna O’Brien
Abducted by Boko Haram, a young woman makes a hair-raising escape from her northeast Nigerian prison before confronting the hostility and bureaucracy of being the mother of a child fathered by enemies.
The Guardians by John Grisham
Cullen Post travels the country fighting wrongful convictions and taking on clients forgotten by the system, but with client Quincy Miller, he gets far more than he bargained for as powerful, ruthless people do not want Miller exonerated.
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
A single mother’s desperate efforts to escape an abusive relationship are thrown into turmoil by her son’s disappearance and reappearance days later with an imaginary friend.
Inside Out: A Memoir by Demi Moore
Throughout her rise to fame and during some of the most pivotal moments of her life, Demi Moore battled addiction, body image issues, and childhood trauma that would follow her for years all while juggling a skyrocketing career and at times negative public perception.
Letters from an Astrophysicist by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
In this hand-picked collection of 101 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
Me: Elton John Official Biography by Elton John
The biography of the multiple Grammy-winning legend and flamboyant superstar, and the most enduringly successful singer-songwriter of all time.
A Mrs. Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Mrs. Miracle shows an ordinary family that they are blessed beyond belief in this uplifting holiday tale
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
Drawing on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, original interviews, and oral histories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members, Graff paints the most vivid and human portrait of the September 11 attacks yet.
Solitary by Albert Woodfox
Chronicles the author’s achievements as an activist during and after spending forty years in solitary confinement for a crime he did not commit, describing how he has committed his post-exoneration life to prison reform. National Book Award Finalist
Stealth by Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington is trying to enjoy some downtime at his English retreat when he’s unceremoniously sent off to the remote reaches of the UK and into a deadly snare.
Trust Exercise by Susan Choi
A narrative-upending novel about what happens when a first love between high school students is interrupted by the attentions of a charismatic teacher. National Book Award Finalist
The Yellow House: A Memoir by Sarah M. Broom
The Yellow House tells a hundred years of her family and their relationship to home in a neglected area, the story of a mother’s struggle against a house’s entropy, and that of a prodigal daughter who left home only to reckon with the pull that home exerts, even after the Yellow House was wiped off the map after Hurricane Katrina. National Book Award Finalist
