Friday, April 29, 2011

Fiction New Releases

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci

Edgar Roy - an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility-is awaiting trial. He faces almost certain conviction. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's attorney, Sean's old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins-en route to their first meeting with Bergin, Sean and Michelle find him murdered. [read more]

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly

Mickey Haller has fallen on tough times. He expands his business into foreclosure defense, only to see one of his clients accused of killing the banker she blames for trying to take away her home.

Mickey puts his team into high gear to exonerate Lisa Trammel, even though the evidence and his own suspicions tell him his client is guilty. Soon after he learns that the victim had black market dealings of his own, Haller is assaulted, too - and he's certain he's on the right trail. [read more]

44 Charles Street by Danielle Steel

The plumbing was prone to leaks, the furniture rescued from garage sales. And every square inch was being devotedly restored to its original splendor-even as a relationship fell to pieces. Now Francesca Thayer, newly separated from her lawyer boyfriend Todd, is desperate. The owner of a struggling art gallery, and suddenly the sole mortgage payer on her Greenwich Village townhouse, Francesca does the math and then the unimaginable. She puts out an advertisement for boarders. Soon her house becomes a whole new world. [read more]


I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark

In I'll Walk Alone, Alexandra "Zan" Moreland, a gifted, beautiful interior designer on the threshold of a successful Manhattan career, is terrified to discover that somebody is not only using her credit cards and manipulating her financial accounts to bankrupt her and destroy her reputation, but may also be impersonating her in a scheme that may involve the much more brutal crimes of kidnapping and murder. [read more]

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

Sarah Nickerson is like any other career-driven supermom in Welmont, the affluent Boston suburb where she leads a hectic but charmed life with her husband Bob, faithful nanny, and three children--Lucy, Charlie, and nine-month-old Linus.

Between recruiting the best and brightest minds as the vice president of human resources at Berkley Consulting; shuttling the kids to soccer, day care, and piano lessons; convincing her son's teacher that he may not, in fact, have ADD; and making it home in time for dinner, it's a wonder this over-scheduled, over-achieving Harvard graduate has time to breathe. [read more]

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet 28-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness-until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group-the fabled "Lost Generation"-that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.  [read more]

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

Ayla, one of the most remarkable and beloved heroines in contemporary fiction, continues to explore the world and the people around her with curiosity, insight, and, above all, courage.

As the story opens, Ayla, Jondalar, and their infant daughter, Jonayla, are living with the Zelandonii in the Ninth Cave - a shelter of stone. Ayla has been chosen as an acolyte and has embarked on the arduous task of training to become a spiritual leader. The wisdom that Ayla gained from her struggles as an orphaned child, alone in a hostile environment, strengthen her as she moves closer to leadership of the Zelandonia.  [read more]

Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman

Alex Delaware finds himself drawn into a twisting, shadowy whodunit that's pure L.A. noir-and vintage Kellerman.  The closing of their favorite romantic rendezvous, the Fauborg Hotel in Beverly Hills, is a sad occasion for longtime patrons Alex Delaware and Robin Castagna. And gathering one last time with their fellow faithful habitués for cocktails in the gracious old venue makes for a bittersweet evening. But even more poignant is a striking young woman-alone and enigmatic among the revelers-waiting in vain in elegant attire and dark glasses that do nothing to conceal her melancholy. Alex can't help wondering what her story is, and whether she's connected to the silent, black-suited bodyguard lingering outside the hotel.  [read more]

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

Little else in life is as dangerous as fire jumping. Flying past towering pillars of smoke, parachuting down to the edge of an all-consuming blaze, shoveling and sawing for hours upon hours, days at a time, all to hold the line and push back against the raw power of Mother Nature.
But there's also little else as thrilling - at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are one of the most exclusive firefighting squads in the nation, and the job is in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend in the field. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home - even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering in the air. [read more]

The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker

Two abandoned souls are on the hunt for one powerful man. Soon, their paths will cross and lead to one twisted fate.

Danny Hansen is a Bosnian immigrant who came to America with hopes of escaping haunted memories of a tragic war that took his mother's life. Now he's a priest who lives by a law of love and compassion. It is powerful men and hypocrites who abide by legal law but eschew the law of love that most incense Danny. As an avenging angel, he believes it is his duty to show them the error of their ways, at any cost.  [read more]

Monday, April 25, 2011

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

If not for his bizarre yet personable role on Parks and Recreation, it would be a surprise to learn that Rob Lowe is a smart and likable guy, capable of appreciating the craziness that is his life.  Based on the New York Times review of his new memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, it sounds like an audiobook to watch out for!

From the review:

"False modesty was one option, but Mr. Lowe turns out to be too smart for that. Indignation and whining were others, but he’s too self-deprecatingly funny. So often in this book he marvels at the sheer absurdity of his circumstances, as when he sat weeping at the deathbed of his beloved grandma, only to have a nurse ask for his autograph."

Click here for the rest of the review, or click here for the audiobook

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Information by James Gleick


James Gleick new audiobook, The Information, follows in the paths of the many science and history tomes that have followed a single thing through history (salt, cod, coal, etc.).  This particular version is unusual for being much more conceptual.  Check out the New York Times review:

"Information, he argues, is more than just the contents of our overflowing libraries and Web servers. It is 'the blood and the fuel, the vital principle' of the world. Human consciousness, society, life on earth, the cosmos — it’s bits all the way down." 

Click here for the rest of the review, or click here for the audiobook.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Many comedians and actors write memoirs that end up disappointing, but Tina Fey is not one of them.  Her new audiobook, Bossypants, is one of the best so far this year.  Fans of 30 Rock should definitely not miss it, because it turns out some of the funniest parts of the show are based in reality (those jars in the male writers' offices are for real?!). 

Bossypants does not give the listener a full biographical account of Fey's life, instead moving from one anecdote to another, but the overall picture is so relatable that it doesn't matter.  Her account of her disastrous honeymoon cruise is funnier than a story about dating and marrying her husband would have been, for instance, because who hasn't had the perfect vacation go wrong?  By keeping her stories based on her mishaps, she avoids coming across as a celebrity on a different plane from her fans.

The only thing wrong with the audiobook is that there isn't more of it.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Stephen King on writing

The Atlantic is running an interview with Stephen King that should appeal both to his fans and to those of you interested in the process of creative writing.  His best advice?

"Eat three meals a day and sleep eight hours a night. I read a lot. I'm still in love with what I do, with the idea of making things up, so hours when I write always feel like very blessed hours to me."

Click here for the rest.

For more of King's writing advice, try On Writing.  If you just want more of his short stories, try his latest audiobook, Full Dark No Stars.

Friday, April 8, 2011

The last Artemis Fowl?

There's going to be a new Artemis Fowl next year, but it looks like it will be the last one!  According to the press release:

"The eighth, as yet untitled book, starring the teenage criminal mastermind will be published by Puffin in Spring 2012. The plot is being kept strictly under wraps and will not be revealed until publication."

Don't worry, though, Eoin Colfer will continue with a new series.  Click here for the press release.

If you haven't heard of Artemis Fowl, it's a great kids' fantasty series that should appeal to fans of Harry Potter and Rick Riordan, so check out the rest of the books before the new one is released.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Interview with Henning Mankell

There's a new Kurt Wallander audiobook out by Henning Mankell!  Fans of Mankell's previous audiobooks, as well as fans of the wildly popular Stieg Larsson audiobooks, should definitely check out The Troubled Man.  This time, the action takes an unusual twist.  From the Globe and Mail's review:

"But this isn’t a typical Wallander police procedural, says Mankell on the phone during a visit to France: 'He is not actually solving a case. He himself is the case.'"

Check out the rest of the review here, or click here for Henning Mankell's audiobooks.

Friday, April 1, 2011

The Social Animal by David Brooks - review

It's rare that you see a book review include phrases like:

"Whether you happily agree with him or have trouble down holding down your porridge, the guy writes like an angel. His sentences have about them the burnished glow of polished oak furniture at the Century Club."

Glorious writing aside, David Brooks's new audiobook The Social Animal promises to be a fascinating treatment of success and day to day American life.  Fans of Malcolm Gladwell and Thomas Friedman should not miss it.

Click here for the rest of the review, or click here for the audiobook.